GW November 2013 by Provincial Press Group

November 2013

Wine

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November 2013: Issue 598

Contents features 52

Greenhouse gas abatement in viticulture

Can petiole analysis improve wine quality

Researchers turn technology on phylloxera threat

Vineyard management

56 Irrigation

It’s all in the way you spray

85 Filtration

Seven things you always wanted to know

Pumps and tanks

Bottling and labelling

105

IT and website design

about fungicide resistance

winemaking

news

My view: Independence is the magic of the

Sally’s Paddock survives the great wine rush

little man

Potato, a new source of vegetal protein for

Here’s a hot idea: controlled release of Pinot Noir phenolics by microwave

customer’s security on the line?

Lots of Latin makes for maximum aroma revelation in white wines

NZ first to trial national sustainability project

It’s Carson’s Jimmy with perfect Pinot Noir

Tough wine laws aim for plastic bottles

A year in the life of a legend

Regional Roundup: Northern SA

News briefs

grapegrowing

102

business and technology

LD S O

allergen-free fining of juice and wine

Wine online. Is your brand and your

Alchemists turning science into wine

sales and marketing Australian off-premise: what influences their wine buying decision?

Tank installation aids grape research at

Label design: Quirky, creative and uber cool

Mildura 30

How will the CFI affect the vineyard?

103

Viniquip puts some sparkle into Sirromet

Sponsored by

WGGA News

The expert view on supply WGGA is nothing but complimentary about the evidential approach taken by the WFA in its investigation of profitability and dynamics in the Australian wine industry. The evidence, provided in the Expert Report, provides insights not otherwise available to the industry. Of direct interest to growers was the analysis of supply – it is after all, grower business. An important view of the experts on this subject was “further adjustment of supply is likely to remain slow”. WGGA would agree with this (see the United Grower, July 2012, “Supply adjustment – as good as it gets?”) and the experts offered a list reasons, all of which WGGA at one time or another has also highlighted. In brief, the expert’s list of drivers for slow supply adjustment is: • Winemakers providing a market for uneconomic winegrapes to maintain throughput for excess processing capacity. • Inability to recoup significant establishment costs of new vineyards from conversion to alternative uses. • Banks hanging on and delaying foreclosure on vineyard debt, until values recover. • Human and emotional factors (e.g. hanging on, hope, them not me, it’ll be alright). • Some production sustained by the WET Rebate (although the evidence is not available, thought to be about 12 per cent of the oversupply). There are some positives in WFA’s response to the expert’s list of drivers (the ‘Proposed Actions’). These include a commitment to work through the combined WGGA-WFA Joint Policy Forum to commission research into lowering the cost of vineyard turnover and cost-effective improvements in vineyard quality as well as continued support for the Code of Conduct between winemakers and growers.

The mainstay of the WFA response however, is to provide and communicate information to improve decision-making. WGGA questions the role of information as the main plank of WFA’s actions to hasten supply adjustment. The Wine Restructure Action Agenda (WRAA) has already done this. In fact the WRAA did it effectively. The WRAA ensured everyone in the industry was left in no doubt profitability was at low levels – and headed south – and it affected everyone in the industry through flow-through effects. This information has clearly not been very effective in bringing about faster adjustment. The reason is because information is the ‘what’ but it doesn’t address the ‘how’ and that is what is needed for businesses to act on the information. Information is absolutely necessary but it is not sufficient. For example, if the answer is that supply adjustment as good as it gets, this is just information, not a solution. A solution is more likely to look like developing the capability of businesses to know their financials, being able to use this in business decision-making including, all-importantly, choosing and transitioning to business models that can survive in the operating environment that currently prevail. Plainly, the most effective way to address the drivers of slow adjustment listed earlier; is to directly tackle each of them. It could be argued WFA’s main plank of activity on this information issue also addresses one the drivers – human and emotional factors – but it is questionable whether irrational human behaviour (emotions) will respond to rational argument (information and analysis). Banks and government come into focus as far as several of the drivers are concerned. Both of these agents can influence

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the investment dynamics if they are encouraged to – for example, creative investment instruments from the banking sector and industry restructuring packages through policy incentives, from government. Finally, WFA proposes to reform the WET Rebate; with short-term adjustment to the eligibility provisions and mid-term collection of evidence to inform longerterm change. WGGA agrees with the mid- and long-term action although short-term adjustments seem imprudent without evidence to ensure this action does not cause industry disruption for no good reason, and certainly not if it is inequitable for growers. The foregoing discussion assumes, however, the problem is over-supply and not under-demand. In this regard, the Expert Report demonstrates what we all knew, and that is the uneconomic production is concentrated in lowergrade grape segments, driven in particular by “over-supply and underdemand of C and D grapes/wine”. Oversupply has been commented on above but what can be said about underdemand? About 80 per cent of the funding sought by WFA for the proposed actions that went out to consultation with industry was earmarked for growing demand. However, it is not obvious how underdemand for the driver of uneconomic production, C and D grade fruit, is addressed by this large proportion of the proposed total spending in the implementation phase. Rather, the view of the national industry brand manager seems to be these grades sell themselves on price and the marketing effort should be concentrated on the higher grades. Perhaps this philosophy is inadequate and some way of improving the market prospects for C and D grade wine needs to be found since it is the major driver of the problem of dis-economy in the wine sector.

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WGGA News

WGGA’s 2013 AGM to include several interesting speakers Several speakers of interest will be included in the program for the 2012-13 AGM in November this year. Head of Corporate Development Shane Tremble from Woolworths will discuss the relationship between Woolworths’ customer insights and grape supply and the GWRDC chair, the Hon Rory McEwen, will provide a brief report on GWRDC activities during the past year. Finally, Greg Fraser, Executive Director and CEO Plant Health Australia will introduce two important biosecurity

documents developed for the industry with GWRDC funding. These are the Viticulture Industry Biosecurity Plan, designed for industry planning to deal with incursions of exotic pests and diseases, and the User Manual, to assist vineyard managers to be alert and prepared for such incursions. The WGGA annual general meeting will be held on Wednesday 13 November 2013 at The Hackney Hotel in Adelaide, SA. Registrations will begin from 9:30am with

the AGM starting at 10am (ACDT). It is anticipated the meeting will conclude at 11:30am with guests invited to stay for a light lunch and networking. Members at this year’s AGM will be asked to vote on whether WGGA should provide financial support and sitting fees for executive committee members to attend its meetings. Further details can be found on our website at www.wgga.com.au/overview/ role-and-activities

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, I recently off-loaded my vineyards after 31 years because I wanted to retire from active farming. My preference would have been to retain a small plot but the drag on our retirement finances were going to be too much so I let it go.

Now this is a Frenchman, and you can guess he was mainly on about terroir but he did refer to vineyard management, and the way I see it – it takes the vineyard manager to bring out the best of the terroir.

Fortunately, I sold to someone in the local area; I know the new owners and remain involved in the management.

But, like I said, this is not the first time I’ve heard this – I’ve heard it from plenty of Australians too.

I am still passionate about the industry and I maintain an interest in industry affairs.

Getting the best expression from the land and its environment has always been my passion and pride, but I didn’t always feel like I got the recognition for my contribution to some bloody good wines.

I get to read more about the industry these days and there are things I find remarkable from my years of experience and just feel like I’d like to express them. It was not for the first time I read in the media recently a winemaker talked up the importance of the vineyard as a massive contributor to the virtues and reputation of the wine produced from it. The spokesperson was Xavier Bizot, a Frenchman who’s relocated to the Adelaide Hills (and married into the Croser camp – so I guess that gives him pedigree). He “stressed the importance of the vineyard and its management” and in addition “winemaking is overrated as a profession and viticulture is way underrated”.

It strikes me Australia has got a lot of traction with consumers with ‘meet the winemaker’ promotions where the winemaker goes on about what they did to create the wine.

called ‘Grower behind the Brand’ – good work. The last one in the September United Grower, about Teresa Gibellini in WA, captured the passion and professionalism of the grower component very well. Wouldn’t it be good if every time a winemaker got up to spruik their wine – they had the grower standing there beside them to tell their side of the story of how that wine came about? Yours sincerely, Gordon Lirdnet, Central Victoria.

Dear Gordon,

Of course, there are lots of wines where the winemaker sources the grapes from their own vineyards, they have got the right to talk about the vineyard contribution but there are plenty that use a grower’s work and don’t bother to acknowledge it.

Thanks for your letter Gordon, there’s a lot in what you say that WGGA agrees with. I note unfortunately the “Grower behind the Brand’ section to our newsletter is being deleted because of the space available and our ability to pull it together each edition. If you have any examples of good relationships between growers and winemakers though, we’d love to hear about them. We may be able to use them on an occasional basis.

I notice your newsletter has a section

Editor.

But haven’t we agreed the vineyard manager also has a lot to do with it?

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WGGA News

Members are winners Congratulations to Colin Bell who will be attending the SITEVI in November (the vine, wine, olive, fruit and vegetable growing exhibition in Montpellier Exhibition Centre in France) as a SITEVI-sponsored representative of WGGA. Colin is an employee of AHA Viticulture, WA, and works with a number of growers in the Margaret River area. He has worked in viticulture for 15 years and been an Associate Member of WGGA for the past three. Colin is also one of the founding members of WGGA’s Decision Support Network. Congratulations also to Nick and Cate Foskett of Top Note vineyard who are the winners of a free Wine Industry Directory, generously donated by WINETITLES, as part of this year’s membership drive. Nick and Cate have been general members (SA levy payers) of WGGA for the past two years. Their 52ha vineyard is in the Adelaide Hills, growing several winegrape varieties including Shiraz, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Red Semillon. Top Note recently released its first wine, a Semillon Rosé, and full details can be found at www.topnote.com.au.

We have seen a rise in SA growers registering with us as well and the Queensland WIA membership as a block has signed up.

WGGA would like to thank all members who have joined for 2013-14.

Note that because SA has a state-based levy in place, membership is automatic but for us to be able to communicate directly with SA growers they need to register with us (at no additional cost) so we know how to get in touch.

Our membership numbers are well up compared to the same time last year and we are pleased to hear our message is reaching you.

Although this year’s membership special offers have now closed, WGGA membership is open all year round and we look forward to receiving your membership inquiries.

New face to the WGGA website – and more The WGGA website, www.wgga.com.au, has undergone a facelift. The site has been remodelled to make information more easily accessible to growers. It has been redesigned with a more user-friendly and ‘modern’ interface and the menu items have also been restructured to assist with navigation to locate information more efficiently. The website overhaul also includes several new features such as a search function, an archive folder for historical data and a comment facility to allow visitors to leave their thoughts on the information we share. View our recently introduced ‘ED blogs’ and have your say on current and “hot” industry issues. With the National Winegrape Biosecurity Program Coordinator on-board at WGGA, we anticipate there will soon be a part of the website dedicated to biosecurity – watch out for this. Check out the website and engage with us today!

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Fact Box

Fact box

Sizing up Australia’s independent winegrape growers The facts:

• In 2011-12, the 370 largest independent growers (out of 4400) accounted for half of Australia’s independently grown winegrapes. • The largest number of independent winegrape growing businesses, at 2458 (or 56 per cent of all independent businesses), managed vineyards of less than 10ha while the largest vineyards (more than 100ha each) were managed by the smallest number of businesses, at 140 (or 3 per cent). • For perspective, WGGA estimates the management of a vineyard of around 20-25ha would occupy one person, full time. • The largest independent businesses (that is, 3 per cent of the total)

100%

Independent grower numbers

90% 80% 70%

Shares of totals

• Independent winegrape growing businesses represented 70 per cent of all winegrape growing businesses in 2011-12.

Tonnes produced and harvested

60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% <10

10-25

25-50 50-100 >100 Size category (vineyard size in hectares)

<50

>50

Contributions to independently grown winegrapes by size of vineyard, 2011-12

accounted for 35 per cent of the tonnages produced and harvested in 2011-12 while the smallest 56 per cent of businesses accounted for just 10 per cent of the total tonnages.

• Roughly equal shares of the total independently tonnes produced and harvested in 2011-12 came from vineyard holdings of less than 50ha as from those with more than 50ha.

Season’s greetings from WGGA Why was Santa’s little helper depressed? Because he had low elf esteem. Our next newsletter will reach you in the New Year so on behalf of the team at WGGA; we would like to wish all our members, industry colleagues and other winegrape growers around Australia best wishes for the festive season and the upcoming harvest. Please note our office will be closed from Monday 23 December 2013 and will reopen on Thursday 2 January 2014. Any queries during this time can be directly to info@wgga. com.au or please feel free to leave a voice message on (08) 8133 4400 and we will reply upon our return. Note this festive season that health experts have advised you don’t eat Christmas decorations – they give you Tinselitis.

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grapegrowing Tank installation aids grape research at Mildura Researchers Karl Sommer, Dale Unwin, Rachel Kilmister, Everard Edwards, Mahabubur Mollah, Glen Fitzgerald and Mark Downey have been given a state-of-the-art opportunity to achieve significant results for the wine industry.

AN INNOVATIVE, STATE-OF-THE-ART research facility at the Department of Environment and Primary Industries’ (DEPI) Mildura Research Centre in Irymple is nearing completion with the installation of a 10m tall tank. Once operational, the tank will be used to store carbon dioxide (CO2) which will be pumped into large, speciallydesigned “open top” chambers located in a nearby experimental vineyard. The concentration of CO2 in some of the chambers will be maintained at a level of 650ppm, 250ppm above the surrounding atmosphere. The elevated CO2 concentration simulates expected atmospheric levels within the next 50-80 years. Atmospheric CO2 concentration has been rising since the onset of the industrial revolution. In 1958, when detailed measurements began, the concentration was still below 320 ppm, but in recent years has been rising at an increasing rate and reached 400 ppm in 2013. Plants have the capacity to absorb CO2 through their leaves and together with sunlight as an energy source use it to produce carbohydrates such as sugar and other secondary compounds including colour and tannin, which are important for grape and wine quality.

DEPI researchers have demonstrated a rise in CO2 may lead to greater production and water use efficiency of wheat but lower quality due to reduced protein content in the seed (Fernando et al., 2012).

In viticulture it is currently uncertain how higher CO2 levels will affect grapevine productivity and grape and wine quality. Without such knowledge it is difficult for the industry to put in place adaptive

Monthly, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration between 1958 and 2012 measured at Mauna Loa, Hawaii (http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd).

It is crucial to know whether there is an interaction between temperature and increased CO2 and whether that interaction will exacerbate the impact of rising temperature on grape and wine production and quality parameters. 28 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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November 2013 – Issue 598

strategies to enhance positive or overcome potentially negative impacts. DEPI, in collaboration with CSIRO Plant Industry and in partnership with the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC) has initiated a project to address this shortcoming. It is an extension from recently completed work that investigated the effect of elevated temperatures on vine growth and grape and wine quality. The previous work was conducted with the varieties Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz and demonstrated even a modest elevation of the average temperature by 2oC accelerated bud burst by 3-12 days, cap fall by 5-10 and veraison by 5-12 days but delayed leaf fall. The current project will use the variety Shiraz and is scheduled to run for three growing seasons. In addition to investigating the impact of elevated CO2 the work will continue to study the impact of elevated temperature and, importantly, the combined impact of elevated temperature and CO2 on vine growth, vine physiology and grape and wine quality. For the Australian wine industry, it is crucial to know whether there is

Installation of gas tank for the storage of CO2 on 2 July 2013 at the DEPI Irymple site near Mildura.

an interaction between temperature and increased CO2 and whether that interaction will exacerbate the impact of rising temperature on grape and wine production and quality parameters. The newly-established innovative research facility will be able to address these questions and offers a unique opportunity to generate new knowledge and to train young scientists and equip them with crucial skills to tackle current

and future challenges to the grape and wine industry. Contact: Mark Downey, DEPI. Phone: 61 3 5051 4565. Email: mark.downey@depi. vic.gov.au.

References

Fernando, N., J. Panozzo, M. Tausz, R.M. Norton, G.J. Fitzgerald, S. Myers, C. Walker, J. Stangoulis, S. Seneweera (2012). Wheat grain quality under increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations in a semi-arid cropping system. Journal of Cereal Science 56: 684-690.

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GRO winetitle 3 November 20131211.indd â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 598

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11:24 AM Grapegrower14/12/11 & Winemaker 29

grapegrowing

How will the Carbon Farming Initiative affect the vineyard? University of Melbourne researchers Richard Eckard and Snow Barlow update viticulturists on the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) and what it means in Australia’s vineyards.

At a glance: • Viticulture can generate and sell offset credits through emission reductions or it can opt to generate products that can assist other industries to reduce their emissions. • Recent research has shown reduced methane emissions from livestock supplemented with grape marc, providing a potential market for what is currently a vineyard by-product. • Wine grapes ripening earlier in Australia in recent years has been attributed to warming and declines in soil water content, together with crop-yield reductions and evolving management practices.

THE CARBON FARMING Initiative (CFI) is an incentive-based mechanism allowing farmers and land managers to earn carbon credits by storing carbon or reducing greenhouse gas emissions on the land. These credits can then be sold to people and businesses wishing to offset their emissions. There are two possible ways in which the viticulture industry can directly engage in the CFI. The most obvious is the generation and sale of offset credits, through reductions in emissions of either methane or nitrous oxide and increased storage of carbon in soils or trees. However, the viticulture industry is not a particularly large source of emissions per unit area, generating some nitrous oxide from nitrogen inputs to soils, and minor quantities of methane from waste management. Opportunities to change soil management to improve carbon storage are limited because of relatively small vineyard areas. Some opportunity may exist to store carbon in trees established on marginal or adjacent areas of the farm, where this is part of a strategy that combines carbon sequestration with other benefits including wind breaks, biodiversity and riparian restoration.

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A less obvious option for engagement in the CFI is the viticulture industry generates products which can assist other industries to reduce their emissions. Recent research has shown reduced methane emissions from livestock supplemented with grape marc, providing a potential market for what is currently a vineyard by-product. The paper will expand on this option and discuss its relative merits in the context of the vineyard. Another indirect use of the CFI for the wine industry is as a mechanism to quantify and demonstrate their environmental credentials, as part of their overall wine marketing strategy to sectors of society wishing to purchase an environmentally friendly discretionary beverage.

WARMING IS ‘UNEQUIVOCAL’ The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) fourth assessment report states “the warming of the climate system is unequivocal”, and “most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations” (IPCC 2007). Atmospheric CO2 was around 280 ppm in pre-industrial times but has now risen to 400 ppm as of May 2013 (Tans and Keeling 2013). This rise in atmospheric CO2 will have physical and, eventually, policy impacts on all aspects of society, but agriculture in particular is highly dependent on predictable rainfall, irrigation water and temperature for crop growth. Of relevance to the wine industry is recent research showing wine grapes ripening earlier in Australia in recent years, attributed to warming and declines in soil water content, together with crop-yield reductions and evolving management practices (Webb et al. 2012). This earlier ripening has implications for wine grape specifications and winery logistics because of the compression of vintages. Thus both reducing emissions generally and adapting to the inevitable impacts of a changing climate are important for the Australian wine industry.

KYOTO PROTOCOL The Kyoto Protocol was the first of a series of attempts to develop an international agreement for countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases (UNFCCC 1998). While these international efforts have struggled to bring about meaningful and equitable global action, individual countries are introducing legislation and policy to limit their impact on the climate system. In response to international agreements, Australia submits an annual greenhouse gas emissions inventory to report to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. In the 2010 report, Australian agriculture produced around 14.6 per cent (79,486 Gg CO2-e) of national greenhouse gas emissions (DCCEE 2012a), with 67 per cent of these emissions coming from livestock enteric methane. The viticulture industry generates less than 1 per cent of

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November 2013 – Issue 598

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grapegrowing

VINE TALK

In many ways, there is no time more important than the coming weeks for building a strong foundation for crop and wine quality. Workers are out there spraying, slashing, lifting wires, shoot thinning and de-suckering. It’s a very busy time and many tasks need to happen at once, but just take a moment to think of what else is going on in your vineyard. Green lacewing are most probably out there attacking a wide range of pests including aphids, moth eggs and small larvae, scales and whiteflies.

Trichogramma carverae are a minute polyphagous wasp that lay their eggs into moth eggs including lightbrown apple moth. The wasp larva develops into a fully formed wasp inside the moth egg to emerge instead of the caterpillar. Similar to many other species of ladybirds Hippodamia variegata, otherwise known as the spotted amber ladybird, is a predatory ladybird which has recently established in Australia and is now common in a large variety of crops. Both adult and juvenile ladybirds are predators of small caterpillars and moth eggs. In NSW the rapid spread of this ladybird has been attributed to its liking of the Australian environment, a life cycle of 3 to 4 weeks, an ability to fly 20 km or more and the 300 eggs laid by each female. Stethorus species are very active at this time of year too. Renowned for attacking mites, these tiny black beetles have a huge appetite and consume twice the amount of spider mites compared to predatory mites. Both the larvae and adult beetles feed on all stages of spider mites and their eggs. They can eat 25 to 80 mites a day and have a life cycle of about 40 days. So the next time you look out on the vineyard, take time to consider there is a lot more going on and ‘in the balance’ than what may be immediately obvious. Take time too to think about what impact your sprays will have on these hugely beneficial species. Responsible use of selective insecticides will still effectively control the pests you are targeting, while minimising disruption to beneficial species. In Australian research conducted by Dr Paul Horne and Pete Cole of IPM Technologies, PROCLAIM was compared to a water control treatment. It was shown to have no significant effect on these beneficial species. Both acute toxicity (direct spray application) on these species and fecundity (reproduction measured as number of eggs and % fertility) of the ladybird species was measured.

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agricultural emissions in Australia (DCCEE 2012a), mainly through nitrogen fertiliser use. In Australia a range of policies have emerged including the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in 2008 (Australian Government 2012), the Clean Energy Futures legislation (Australian Government 2012), and potentially the Direct Action policy (The Coalition 2010) following the recent federal election. One policy which appears to have bipartisan support in Australia is the Carbon Farming Initiative (DCCEE 2012b). The CFI is an incentive-based mechanism allowing farmers and land managers to earn carbon credits by storing carbon or reducing greenhouse gas emissions on the land. These credits can then be sold to people and businesses wishing to offset their emissions. The greenhouse gas emissions and sinks that can generate offset credits under the CFI include enteric methane from ruminant livestock, methane from waste management and landfill, nitrous oxide from agricultural soils and the storage of carbon in soils and trees.

OPTIONS FOR THE WINE INDUSTRY TO ENGAGE IN CARBON FARMING The CFI is a voluntary, incentive-based scheme and thus one option for the wine industry is not to engage in the CFI and maintain the focus on its productivity. Given the value of carbon credits generated through the CFI is likely to be quite modest relative to main farm income, this is the most likely decision for the majority of growers in the industry.

Direct engagement in the CFI A second option is for viticulturists or wine makers to identify areas in their production systems where offset credits can be generated cost-effectively, through reductions in emissions of either methane or nitrous oxide and increased storage of carbon in soils or trees. An Australian Wine Carbon Calculator tool has been developed by Winemakers Federation of Australia and the SA Wine Industry Association to allow viticulturists to estimate their current carbon footprint. Vineyards are also not a particularly large source of emissions per unit area, generating some nitrous oxide from nitrogen fertiliser applied to soils, and perhaps a small amount of methane from storage and handling of grape marc (although this is not reported in the national greenhouse gas inventory). At the time of writing (May 2013) a CFI offset method was being developed to recognise reductions in the rate of nitrogen fertiliser use, but this method is not yet approved and is unlikely to reward viticulturists in any significant way. In addition, within vineyards there is limited opportunity to change soil management to improve carbon storage. Thus the only direct CFI offset method available to the wine industry is through environmental plantings. However, to make this cost-effective it would need to be part of a strategy combining carbon sequestration in trees with other multiple benefits including wind breaks, biodiversity and riparian restoration.

Indirect engagement in the CFI The third and less obvious option for engagement in the CFI is via products the viticulture industry generates which can assist other industries to reduce their emissions. Recent research in Australia has shown up to 20 per cent reduction in methane emissions from dairy cattle supplemented with dry or ensiled grape marc (Moate et al. 2012). This finding will be the subject of further research before it can be developed into a formal CFI offset method, but could present a new opportunity for the wine industry. It will also need to be subjected to a comprehensive analysis

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November 2013 – Issue 598

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grapegrowing on the relative merits of alternative uses for grape marc in a future carbon constrained world, as organic waste can be used for second generation biofuels (assuming ethanol extraction has already taken place), biochar production or simply adding organic matter back to soils.

Carbon offsets as part of a carbon foot printing strategy A further indirect option is for wine businesses to use the CFI methodologies as part of a general carbon foot printing and offsets strategy. This could cover offsets generated and verified through the CFI, both from the vineyard and adjacent carbon sinks, plus those from by-products such as grape marc. Although the magnitude of the carbon credits generated in individual vineyards is not likely to be large, on a whole wine production and marketing supply chain scale, a general business strategy to minimise the overall carbon footprint may be significant in providing low carbon footprint credentials to the wine industry.

POLICY – RESEARCH TIMING MISMATCH What becomes obvious from the discussion in this paper is there is a timing mismatch between the immediacy of policy demands and research. Politically, a new policy like the CFI has to be shown to be delivering against promises for agriculture and thus there is an imperative to develop as many CFI offset methods as possible. However, research commonly takes decades from concept to adoption, and the focus on greenhouse gas abatement in agriculture is relatively new – the national Climate Change Research Program and associated nationally coordinated research programs started in 2009, and the subsequent Carbon Farming Futures Program started in 2012. It is no surprise then the majority of CFI methods approved to date focus on areas such as landfill gas, methane from waste management and tree planting, where the science is mature and has been understood for many years. Conversely, CFI methods relating to broadacre agriculture – for example, on methane from livestock; and nitrous oxide from soil – are still in the research phase, with cost-effective solutions a few years off in the research timeline.

HOW WILL A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT AFFECT THE CFI? An obvious question is how the recent change of government will affect the CFI? The Liberal/National Coalition’s Direct Action policy (The Coalition 2010) plans to both support and expand the scope of the CFI.

34 Grapegrower & Winemaker

However, the Coalition also plans to repeal the carbon tax, effectively removing the demand for CFI offsets from the market by eliminating the need for entities to purchase offsets against their emissions. Under the Direct Action policy the government will purchase emissions reductions using their Emissions Reduction Fund (The Coalition 2010), which means they now become the buyer of offsets from the CFI (apart from buyers in the voluntary market). However, Direct Action will use a reverse auction approach to buy the emissions reductions at the lowest cost to the tax payer. In this process entities compete to sell their emissions reductions, with government usually buying the cheapest option meeting the minimum integrity requirements. Businesses that reduce their emissions below their individual baseline (‘historic average’) will be able to offer this emissions reduction for sale to the government. At current prices most farmers are unlikely to engage in the CFI, unless it aligns with other strategic objectives being planned. Therefore engagement in the CFI under reverse auction could be even less likely to incentivise engagement, unless funds were reserved for direct action within sectors. While the details of this are not clear, the policy does state “To ensure the Fund supports a broad range of direct action initiatives, measures considered for support by the Fund will be assessed against similar proposals from similar sectors” (The Coalition 2010). Under the Direct Action policy, government would therefore consider projects which not only reduce CO2e, but deliver additional practical environmental benefits (valueadded offsets, for example improved biodiversity, reduced water use and waste recycling), avoid price increases to consumers, protect Australian jobs, but would not proceed without Fund assistance.

CONCLUSIONS While climate change will be an issue for the future viability of the wine industry in some parts of Australia, the industry’s emissions profile is relatively modest compared with other more emissions intensive agricultural systems. However, this also means opportunities for participation in a policy such as the CFI may well be limited to planting trees and trading grape marc for carbon offsets, where this aligns with other strategic objectives, and managing nitrogen in soils, where this can be cost effective in its own right. www.winebiz.com.au

What the CFI may provide is a new market for grape marc, through selling this as a dietary additive to the livestock industry to reduce enteric methane. The CFI will continue to be supported even after the change of government with the scheme potentially expanding in scope and coverage. However, under Direct Action government will be the main buyer of these emissions reductions at least cost through reverse auction. To incentivise action a future CFI will need to include value-added offsets, where an offset can demonstrate additional environmental benefits like water savings and improved biodiversity and can therefore be traded at a price sufficient to incentivise action. These broader environmental benefits as well as some carbon offsets to lighten the carbon footprint may be of interest to wine producers seeking market advantage in the area of environmental credence. Contact: Richard Eckard. Phone: 61 3 9035 8264. Email: rjeckard@unimelb. edu.au. R.J. Eckard and E.N. Barlow: The University of Melbourne, Department of Agriculture and Food Systems, Parkville, Victoria, 3010.

References:

Australian Government (2012) An overview of the Clean Energy Legislative Package. 12. Available at http://www. cleanenergyfuture.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ CEF-overview_Apr2012.pdf [Accessed 20th May 2013]. DCCEE (2012a) Australian National Greenhouse Accounts, National Inventory Report 2010. Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, GPO Box 854, Canberra, ACT, 2601. Available at http://www. climatechange.gov.au/en/publications/greenhouseacctg/~/media /publications/greenhouse-acctg/ NationalInventoryReport-2010-Vol-1.pdf. DCCEE (2012b) An overview of the Carbon Farming Initiative. 12. Available at http://www.climatechange. gov.au/en/government/initiatives/carbon-farminginitiative/~/media/cfi/CFI-About-Overview_V2.pdf [Accessed 20th May 2013]. IPCC (2007) Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. In ‘Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.’ (Eds S. Solomon, D. Gin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor, H.L. Miller.) pp. 996. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Moate, PJ, Williams, SRO, Ribaux, BE, Wales, WJ (2012) Feeding grape marc to dairy cows suppresses methane emissions. In ‘Proceedings of the 5th Australasian Dairy Science Symposium 2012. Melbourne’, November 13-15, 2012. pp. 454-455. (Australasian Dairy Science Symposium. Available at http://www.adssymposium. com.au/inewsfiles/ADSS_Final_Proceedings.pdf Tans, P, Keeling, R (2013) ‘Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide - Recent Monthly Average Mauna Loa CO2.’ Available at http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/ The Coallition (2010) Direct Action Plan. ENVIrONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE 30. Available at http://www.greghunt.com.au/Portals/0/PDF/ T h e C o a l i ti o n s D i re c t Ac ti o n Pl a n Po l i c y 2010.p d f [Accessed 20th May 2013]. UNFCCC (1998) ‘Kyoto protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.’ Available at http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/kpeng.pdf Webb, LB, Whetton, PH, Bhend, J, Darbyshire, R, Briggs, PR, Barlow, EWR (2012) Earlier wine-grape ripening driven by climatic warming and drying and management practices. Nature Clim. Change 2, 259-264. November 2013 – Issue 598

Greenhouse gas abatement in viticulture By benchmarking N2O emissions a research team headed by Mardi Longbottom is working at trial sites across Australia to trial and demonstrate vineyard practices which have the potential to reduce N2O emissions and/or increase sequestration of carbon in soil. NITROUS OXIDE (N2O) is a significant greenhouse gas (GHG) contributing around 8 per cent of total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (IPCC 2007). (See Figure 1). Whilst proportionally it is a small volume, N2O has a global warming potential approximately 300 times that of carbon dioxide due to its longevity in the atmosphere and its potential for ozone breakdown. Furthermore, most N2O comes from agricultural soil management and can be directly related to the application of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers (IPCC 2007). N2O emissions have been measured from many agricultural crops; however, there is little data from vineyards. The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) is undertaking a project to trial and demonstrates vineyard practices which have the potential to reduce N2O emissions and/or increase sequestration of carbon in soil. This work includes the collection

At a glance: • N2O has a global warming potential approximately 300 times that of carbon dioxide. • N2O emissions have been measured from many agricultural crops; however, there is little data from vineyards. • Soils with high carbon content and soils supplemented with compost or other organic amendments have greater potential for N2O production.

of baseline N2O emission data from vineyards in different regions and from experiments that compare the magnitude of effects of different vineyard floor management practices on N2O production and soil carbon stores.

Nitrous oxide 8%

Florinated gases 1%

Methane 14%

Carbon dioxide 77%

Figure 1. Global greenhouse gases by type (IPCC 2007).

NITROGEN CYCLE AND DRIVERS OF N2O PRODUCTION

N2O is released from the soil as a result of the naturally occurring nitrification and denitrification processes (Figure 2, page 34). Nitrification is the biological oxidation

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18/04/2013 3:01:42 PM35 Grapegrower & Winemaker

grapegrowing Table 1. Benchmarking sites and location of chambers for N2O collection. Region

Fertiliser

N2O sample locations Undervine1

Midrow 2

Hunter Valley, NSW

Mildura, Vic

Margaret River, WA

1 Weed free + irrigation 2 Midrow volunteer or sown sward

N2O NH4+

Nitrification

N2O NO3+

Denitrification

Figure 2. N2O is released during the processes of nitrification and denitrification in the soil.

soil increases the potential for N2O The sites in the Hunter Valley, of ammonia with oxygen into nitrite Margaret River and Mildura were chosen followed by the oxidation of these nitrites production. to represent vineyards with management into nitrates. The bacteria responsible for that is typical for each region, that is Degradation of ammonia to nitrite nitrification and denitrification rely on a) the undervine area is maintained is usually the rate limiting step of soil carbon as an energy source. relatively free from weeds and receives nitrification and the process is an Soils which have high carbon content drip irrigation; and b) the midrow area important step in the nitrogen cycle in (such as those in high rainfall areas which is either a volunteer or sown sward and soil. have elevated organic matter content) does not receive irrigation (Table 1). Denitrification is a microbially and soils which are supplemented with Other management practices are being facilitated process of nitrate reduction compost or other organic amendments examined at Eden Valley and McLaren that may ultimately produce molecular have greater potential for N2O production Vale. nitrogen (N2) through a series of (Conrad 1996, Kool et al. 2010). At Eden Valley, measurements have intermediate gaseous nitrogen oxide been taken from an organic/biodynamic products. THE PROJECT vineyard and an adjoining conventionally These reactions are driven by soil In 2012, the AWRI established five trial managed vineyard. nitrogen content, soil carbon (organic sites in vineyards across a range of Within the organic vineyard, N2O matter) and soil moisture. Nitrogen must climates, soil types and management be present in the soil for these reactions practices in: the Hunter Valley, Mildura, emissions from bare soil are being to occur. The addition of nitrogenous Margaret River, Eden Valley and McLaren compared with undervine straw. 3 1 7 9 6 _ v 2 CRT 1 3 UPL _ Un . p d f Pa ge 1 1 3 / 0 8 / 1 3 , 1 2 : 0 5 PM fertiliser or other organic inputs to the Vale. At McLaren Vale, N2O emissions from

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36 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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November 2013 – Issue 598

Table 2. Details of the vineyard management treatments for N2O analysis. Region

Eden Valley, SA McLaren Vale, SA

N2O sample locations Undervine

Undervine

Midrow

Organic + straw mulch + irrigation

Organic + bare -+ irrigation +

Conventional + bare + irrigation +

Organic midrow sown sward

Weed free + irrigation

Rye grass sward

Wallaby grass sward

two different midrow swards are being compared: rye grass and wallaby grass (Table 2). Static chambers are in place at all of the trial sites. Gas samples are collected each fortnight during the growing season and after significant rainfall events and fertiliser application. Samples are sent to Queensland University of Technology for analysis of CO2, CH4 and N2O.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS N2O emissions from Mildura, Margaret River, McLaren Vale and Eden Valley averaged between 0-5 gN2O per hectare per day throughout the growing season. These values are similar to N2O measurements in vineyards in California 3 2 8 2 4 _ v 2 CRT 1 3 UPL _ Un . p (Garland et al. 2011).

At most of the sites, the volume of N2O has been approximately double from the undervine soil compared to the midrow soil. There have been no significant differences between the soil treatments at Eden Valley. At the Hunter Valley trial site, N2O emissions were significantly higher than at the other sites: four times that of the midrows and nine times more from the undervine at the other trial sites. These high emissions are thought to be the result of past applications of chicken manure to that vineyard.

FUTURE OF THE PROJECT Two of the trial sites have been modified for the 2013-2014 season. df Pa ge 1 1 3 / 0 8 / 1 3 , 1 2 : 1 3 At Margaret River, the impact on N2O

This project will provide the wine industry with valuable information to assist with the abatement of greenhouse gas emissions P M from vineyards

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November 2013 – Issue 598

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

grapegrowing emissions will be measured following the addition of a compost treatment which provides additional nutrients and differences in soil moisture. In the Hunter Valley, additional N2O samples will be collected in 2013-2014 from a relatively low-input site in the region to determine the variability across the region. N2O measurements will be ongoing at all sites for the next year. This project will provide the wine industry with valuable information to assist with the abatement of greenhouse gas emissions from vineyards. An update on the progress of this work will be provided in 2014. Contact: Mardi Longbottom, AWRI. Email: mardi.longbottom@awri. com.au.

Acknowledgements: The project is funded through the Action on the Ground program, administered by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture. The AWRI acknowledges the assistance of our industry partners AHA Viticulture, Jeff Milne, Treasury Wine Estates, The Yalumba Wine Company and Ken Bray for providing field support for this project.

References:

Conrad R. (1996) Soil microorganisms as controllers of atmospheric trace gases (H2, CO, CH4, OCS, N2O, and NO). Microbioly Revue, 60, 609-40. Garland, G. M., Suddick, E., Burger, M., Horwath, W. R. And Six, J. (2011) Direct N2O emissions following transition from conventional till to no-till in a cover cropped Mediterranean vineyard (Vitis Vinifera). Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 144, 423-428. IPCC (2007) Official website – IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Accessed at http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/ assessments-reports.htm (accessed on 8 August 2012). Gas traps: Undervine N2O chambers placed in straw mulch D P 1 5 6and 0 _ G W_ 1 3 0 x 1 8 at5 Eden . p dValley. f Pa ge (foreground) bare soil (background)

Kool, D. M., Wrage, N., Zechmeister-Boltenstern, S., Pfeffer, M., Brus, D., Oenema, O., van Groenigen 1 8 / 0 7J. /W.1Nitrifier 2 , denitrification 3 : 2 2 can P Mbe a source of N2O from soil: a revised approach to the dual-isotope labelling method. European Journal of Soil Science, 61, 759-72.

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38 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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November 2013 – Issue 598

grapegrower

Rob Wignall

was born in Albany, Western Australia and joined the wine industry in 1985 as a vineyard hand. He studied a Diploma of Wine Marketing at Roseworthy College in the late ’80s and is now the managing director of Wignalls Winery. This year marks his 29th year in the Western Australian wine industry.

What inspired you to work in viticulture and how have you got to where you are now?

I started work at a vineyard 50km inland at Mount Barker as a general hand with vines. Many months later my parents learnt viticulture is extremely labour intensive so the offer was made for me to join in. I accepted the role and became a formal partner a year down the track in 1985. Both parents retired in 2003 and my wife and I purchased the business. A major restructuring took place in the vineyard, winery, management and packaging in 2004 which saw the brand reinvent itself up until today. What aspect of your work do you enjoy the most, or get the most satisfaction from?

Viticultural and oenology research and development to back up the work done in the vineyard. We have a very simple theory – 80 per cent of wine is made in the vineyard and the winery finishes the last 20 per cent of the product. Not all research and development is satisfying though, as some experiments can fall in a heap as I’m sure every winery has experienced. It is an unwritten rule that we try something new every year in the vineyard as with a changing climate, adaptation is survival. Who do you think is the most influential person in the wine industry today?

James Halliday without a question. What is your favourite time in the vineyard and why?

The last day of harvesting. Then it can rain as much as it wants and our friends (the birds) have to look for another food source! My second favourite time is fruit set because we can start to place science and skill into the fruit source to determine our final product. Tell us about your most memorable winetasting experience?

Many years ago Wignalls hosted a major annual tasting event in WA called International Tasting of Pinot Noir. Every year we used the next consecutive vintage from the best Pinots around the globe, often with one red herring that would throw the audience. We had 20 wines tasted blind, but the audience was aware of the brands through an associated booklet. Wignalls was always in the line-up, and in the 1996 vintage Mr Halliday was our special guest speaker. November 2013 – Issue 598

What do you like to do when you’re not working the in vineyard?

Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the business keeps me busy, especially with marketing internationally and domestically, and our tyranny of isolation and distance from the main markets for Wignalls. Recently we moved into our new home at the vineyard and are actively planting an exotic 2ha ‘rainforest’ garden surrounding the home.

abilities. Being so established and building the winery in 1997, fortunately big purchases are a rarity nowadays of the 31-year-old business. What has been the best business decision you have made for your business?

To reinvent and completely restructure the business from the ground up in 2004 and to bring in fresh blood with both consultants, viticulture and winemaking teams for the overall label.

What keeps you awake at night?

Rain on the roof around harvest time is guaranteed to keep any winemaker awake. Also sometimes I have dreams about the bank manager, which is most concerning. How do you de-stress after vintage?

A winter break with the family on school holidays, usually to a hot climate on the equator. Summer is just too busy to have any time off as Wignalls have a very active cellar door operation based on the outskirts of Albany. Large concerts are our forte. What was the last big ticket equipment purchase for your business and would you recommend the equipment to colleagues?

We recently purchased a new multipurpose tractor for both the vineyard and farm. It’s a New Holland T4.75 model and so far we love its www.winebiz.com.au

From a research and development perspective is there one piece of research which has really influenced you, or your directions in viticulture?

Definitely climate change and its effect on fruit zone temperatures in today’s times. Our strongest research and development results in our vineyards have come with root restriction for established vines, resulting in mature working vines that do not suffer stress and don’t draw too much goodness from our rich soils and high winter rainfall. The Ark question. The world is flooding so which two wines (red and white) would you take onto the Ark?

I am a champagne lover so probably a Krug for white and a 2010 Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot for a red. I can’t get my hands on this Pinot, so if anybody has a spare one? Grapegrower & Winemaker

grapegrowing

Can petiole analysis help improve wine quality? The time of year has come when the nutrient levels in grapevines are usually analysed. Greg Howell at Vintessential Laboratories explains the reason behind this widespread practice, how to avoid problems with testing and how this information can be used to improve wine quality.

This is also the list of nutrients offered in Vintessential Laboratories Petiole analysis bundle. We have been advised by our clients this is the list they prefer, and they also prefer our “independent” service – that is, one not done by the same company that produces and sells them fertiliser.

LIKE ALL PLANTS, vines need certain nutrients to ensure good growth and to produce healthy fruit. To make good wine from the grapes the range and quantities of nutrients must be optimum, including the correct amount of all essential nutrients. (Note: in this article the term ‘nutrients’ will be used in place of the less accurate but commonly used term ‘minerals’). Nutrients for vine health are primarily extracted from the soil in which the vine grows. Healthy soil, which contains good levels of nutrients, is necessary for healthy plant growth. Testing identifies deficiencies in the amounts of nutrients; deficiencies which can be ameliorated using supplementary nutrient application by soil fertilisers and/or foliar sprays.

DEFICIENT, ADEQUATE OR TOXIC?

MACRO AND MICRO NUTRIENTS

PLANT TISSUE OR SOIL TESTING?

Many nutrients are required for healthy vine growth and these can be classified in several ways. A common way is to divide them into the concentrations of each nutrient required: macro and micro ranges. The main macro nutrients are: N, K, Ca, Mg, P; the main micro nutrients include Cl, B, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu. This range of nutrients, along with nitrate and sodium, is used by most grapegrowers as there is an accepted standard of levels for them, as shown below in Table 1.

The level of nutrient occurring in the vine can be determined from two main sources; either from plant tissue or from soil. The most commonly analysed plant tissue is the petiole (leaf stem); although the testing of vine sap is also offered commercially. Another approach is to analyse the soil in which the plant lives; this is useful in some ways, however it only gives an estimate of the nutrient levels occurring in the vine.

Research done on this topic in the US is often quoted and is the basis for further trials that have been done in Australia (1). Table 1 is an outcome of this work and shows the optimum concentrations of the most important nutrients. Each nutrient has been divided in a “Goldilocks” way: Deficient (too low), Adequate (just right) and Toxic (too high).

Deficient

Marginal

Adequate

Nitrate Nitrogen, NO3 (mg/kg)

<340

340-499

500-1200

>1200

Phosphorous, P (%)

<0.15

0.15-0.24

0.25-0.50

>0.50

Potassium, K (%)

<1.0

1.0-1.7

1.8-3.0

<0.30

0.30-0.39

Nitrogen, N (%)

Magnesium, Mg (%)

High

Toxic

0.80-1.10

Calcium, Ca (%)

1.2-2.5 >0.40

Sodium, Na (%)

0.10-0.30

0.40-0.50

>0.50

Chloride, Cl (%)

<1.0

1.0-1.5

>1.0 or 1.5

Zinc, Zn (mg/kg)

<15

15-26

>26

Manganese, Mn (mg/kg)

<20

20-29

30-60

Iron, Fe (mg/kg) Copper, Cu (mg/kg)

3.6

Boron, B (mg/kg)

<25

26-30

30-100

40 Grapegrower & Winemaker

• Nutrients for vine health are primarily extracted from the soil in which the vine grows. • The level of nutrient occurring in the vine can be determined from two main sources; either from plant tissue or from soil. • The main purpose of petiole analysis is to determine if all nutrients in the vine are in the “adequate” range.

The reasons analysis of petioles is usually preferred are: • The levels of nutrients in the soil do not necessarily match the levels in the plant tissue. • Taking of representative petiole samples is easier than taking representative soil samples. • Soil nutrient analysis is very dependent upon the test chemical used to extract the nutrients and the range of extractants varies. • Foliar nutrient sprays, if used, affect the levels in the plant compared to the soil. • Better standards for comparison are available for petiole compared to sap analysis.

SPECIALISED TESTING

Table 1: Standard nutrient guidelines for petiole analysis (1) Nutrient

At a glance:

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>500

The analysis of plant tissue such as petioles for a full range of nutrients is a highly skilled endeavour. Compared to wine analysis, a higher level of expertise is required for sample taking, sample preparation and analysis. As the concentration of many nutrients is at very low trace levels, special precautions are required throughout the whole procedure to avoid contamination. Trace analysis laboratories must therefore be carefully managed to avoid contamination.

INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS >100

The main purpose of petiole analysis is to determine if all nutrients in the vine are November 2013 – Issue 598

in the “adequate” range. Due to changes in climatic conditions, management regimes and plant health, it can be a difficult task for any vineyard manager to keep the nutrients within this range. This is the main reason these analyses are done on a recurring annual basis, particularly for vineyards that have vine health issues or where the fermentation kinetics of the fruit leads to concerns about a particular plot or vineyard.

PREDICTOR OF WINE QUALITY Reference has been made to the issue of the quality of wine when compared to the nutrient level of the vines from which the fruit was sourced. In one study it was found the level of nitrogen in the tissue samples was an indicator of flavor intensity in the resulting Sauvignon Blanc wines (2). Where nitrogen was deficient the fruit flavor was of a lower intensity. In our laboratories several nutrient issues have been observed: • High levels of Calcium have been found to cause wine instability • High levels of Manganese have caused some of our customers to have wine rejected overseas • High levels of Copper are also a concern for this reason

Results of this work were presented in a workshop at the recent AWITC conference. Anecdotally, it has been suggested a number of stuck ferments in the 2013 vintage may have been caused by a lack of micro nutrients from the fruit. This is difficult to verify, but some winemakers have said after all normal precautions were taken, some unexpected stuck ferments still occurred and lack of micro nutrients in the fruit was the most likely explanation. It appears more research work needs to be done on the issue of correlating the results of vine tissue nutrient levels and the resulting wine quality.

TIPS FOR BEST RESULTS There are several important steps to remember for petiole testing: • Make sure you get as representative a sample of the vineyard as you can. • Take sample at full flowering (80 per cent cap fall). • Wear clean latex gloves whilst taking the leaf samples to avoid trace nutrient contamination. • Take samples in the morning before any moisture stress occurs. • Keep samples in paper rather than plastic bags.

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• Ensure sample dispatch complies with quarantine regulations, in particular in regard to phylloxera.

CONCLUSION The nutrient levels of vines are important parameters that are typically measured by sampling the leaf petioles. The results from these analyses can be used to ensure that the levels of nutrients in the vine are adequate. The quality of the subsequent fermentation and the resulting wine can be affected by these levels, although the nutrient concentrations affecting wine quality is an area of research that needs much more attention. Contact: Greg Howell is founder and managing director of Vintessential Laboratories. It operates wine testing laboratories in Queensland, Victoria and WA. Greg can be contacted by email on greg@vintessential.com.au.

References

1. The Grapevine: from the science to the practice of growing vines for wine, 2011, Patrick Iland Wine Promotions, Adelaide, 218-221 2. Smart, R.E. 2006, Practical Winery & Vineyard, Mar/Apr, 85 Articles on related topics are available at www. vintessential.com.au/resources/articles/.

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Researchers turn technology on phylloxera threat Earlier this year Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries principal biosciences research scientist Kevin Powell, as one of the keynote presenters and member of the scientific advisory committee, attended the 6th International Phylloxera Symposium in Bordeaux, France and provided this snapshot of work being done by researchers around the world on one of the greatest threats to vineyards. G r ap e v i n e p h y llox e r a (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch) is Pests & a destructive, rootdiseases feeding insect which is difficult to detect and easily spread by the use of shared farm equipment. Early detection of this pest is essential to ensure the sustainability and profitability of the viticulture industry. Late detections of the insect cause significant economic damage to affected vineyards, with replanting onto phylloxera resistant rootstocks costing up to $25,000 per hectare. Metabolomics offers a new and exciting approach for the early diagnosis of phylloxera infestation. Studies of leaf material obtained from field studies in the Yarra Valley, Victoria indicated there were metabolic differences between non-infested and infested vines. Analysis suggested certain flavonols, as well as other, as yet unidentified, metabolites could be useful biomarkers of phylloxera infestation. Validation of these putative biomarkers is crucial for the provision of useful diagnostic tools. Challenges in validation involve the accurate discrimination between biomarkers or metabolic profile

changes caused by phylloxera infestation when compared to other environmental stressors. In order to address this challenge, glasshouse-based trials have been conducted to test the metabolic response of vines to nutrient, water and phylloxera induced stress. It is therefore critical biomarkers of infestation can be detected under greenhouse conditions where the vines are relatively immature and have had less exposure to phylloxera compared to field conditions.

EFFECTIVE EARLY DETECTION Early detection is difficult due to the insect’s small size, ability to live underground, wide range in genetic strain virulence levels, uneven spatial distribution and late symptom expression on the vine. Although a number of detection approaches have been developed ranging from simple traps to molecular probes and spectrochemical fingerprinting of grapevines it is evident that an integrated approach combing more than one technology is required for effective surveillance of phylloxera.

83 STRAINS In Australia, to date, 83 genetically different endemic grapevine phylloxera strains have been characterised which

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At a glance: • Late detections of the insect cause significant economic damage to affected vineyards, with replanting onto phylloxera resistant rootstocks costing up to $25,000 per hectare. • In Australia, to date, 83 genetically different grapevine phylloxera strains have been characterised. • The use of molecular markers is essential for rootstock selection aimed at reducing costs and time associated with screening. • Knowledge of the phylloxera genome will improve understanding of the specific biological features of this invasive pest. • In the absence of food, grape phylloxera can survive three weeks in water, representing a significant quarantine risk.

vary in their geospatial distribution on both ungrafted and grafted Vitis vinifera under field conditions. Damage levels on V. vinifera also differ. An assessment of phylloxera development and root response to phylloxera feeding on

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10 Vitis rootstocks has been made under both laboratory and glasshouse conditions using six selected genetically diverse strains of grape phylloxera. These strains were screened using both excised roots and whole plant bioassays, which allowed quantification of phylloxera development and damage to mature lignified roots, and to a lesser extent under field conditions. Based on these assessments rootstocks were classed as resistant, tolerant or susceptible. Genetically different phylloxera strains differed in population survival and development on both V. vinifera and grafted rootstock hybrids and in addition root galling differed between phylloxera genetic strains and rootstocks. The results highlight the need for further studies focusing on the genetics of both the host plant and the pest insect.

MOLECULAR MARKERS AND RESISTANCE In grapevine rootstock breeding programs, the utilisation of molecular markers linked to key traits, such as phylloxera resistance, is essential for employing marker assisted selection. Which is aimed at reducing costs and time associated with extensive in vitro and in planta screening. Preliminary trials conducted by CSIRO and DEPI have highlighted potential molecular makers linked to phylloxera resistance when screened with two phylloxera clonal lines (G4 and G30).

PHYLLOXERA GENOME PROJECT In the framework of the International Aphid Genomics Consortium (IAGC) and the i5K initative, researchers have

November 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 598

Growing problem: As Phylloxera feed by puncturing the root surface, the vine responds by forming galls on root hairs and swellings on older roots.

proposed sequencing of the grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch) genome through an integrated and collaborative approach and some of this work has already commenced in a collaboration between INRA and DEPI. Phylloxera, because of its basal phylogenetic relationship to aphids, provides an interesting model for comparative genomics studies between aphids (in the broad sense). The phylloxera sequence will also fill the gap between aphids and related taxa such as cicadas and leafhoppers, psyllids and whiteflies. A genome project is only the first step for following uses in genetics, evolutionary biology and functional analyses. Knowledge of the genome of phylloxera will considerably improve our understanding of many of the specific biological features of this invasive pest. This includes identifying genes for complex traits including those with

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relevance to the genetic basis of host plant interaction, to leaf gall and root gall formation, to nutrition on grape, and to the developmental causes of extreme phenotypic plasticity. Finally, knowledge of the phylloxera genome is also relevant to human and economic wellbeing by contributing to reduced environmental cost and quarantine risk in viticulture. The genome project itself requires several steps including DNA extraction (in large quantity and quality) from, where possible, low heterozygous lineages, DNA sequencing using new high throughput technologies, assembly and annotation. Currently, DNA sequencing and preassembly of an Australian phylloxera clone has been obtained; its sequence is compared with gene sequences from a French clone to estimate sequence divergence between the two strains. In the meantime, first genome sequence data will be obtained from the French clone to improve this comparison.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

grapegrowing QUARANTINE RISK

New trouble: Phylloxera nymphs hatching from these eggs crawl to new leaves at shoot tips, settle on the leaves, and form new galls.

In the absence of a food source, grape phylloxera can survive up to one week without a food source in air and three weeks in water, representing a significant quarantine risk. Dispersive stages of grape phylloxera, particularly first instars sometimes referred to as crawlers, can be inadvertently transferred on several potential ‘vectors’ including post-harvest grape products such as juice. Fermentation of red grape juice for at least 72 hours, or filtering, will kill or prevent phylloxera first instar transfer. White juice is processed differently to red, has different physiochemical properties and undergoes a range of treatments prior to filtering. For example, tartaric acid may be added to ensure pH is within a range of 3.0-3.4. At various stages in the white wine-making process sulphur dioxide is generally added, as either potassium or sodium metabisulphite. At maturity Baume is usually between 10C and 12.5C depending on variety. Cool temperatures are generally used for white grapes with fermentation occurring at 10-16C or lower, clarification occurring below 15C and cold stabilisation occurring at -4C to +2C. Some of these factors have been tested against phylloxera first instars and lower temperatures in particular seem to reduce survival. Contact: Dr Kevin Powell. Phone: 61 2 6030 4542. Email: kevin.powell@depi.vic.gov.au.

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November 2013 – Issue 598

It’s all in the way you spray Stephanie Timotheou caught up with Cornell University application technology specialist Dr Andrew Landers during his recent tour Down Under. At GWRDC’s spray application workshop in McLaren Vale Landers discussed the issue of spray drift, the changes in technology and how growers can get the most out of their spray units.

At a glance: • Landers told participants how to get better coverage and cut their chemical costs at the same time. • Air assistance is paramount and transports droplets from the nozzle to the target, protecting them against wind effects and shaking canopy leaves to improve penetration. • New technologies focus the spray onto the canopy; therefore the issue of spray drift is being prevented by simply swapping the old technology with the new.

ANDREW LANDERS HAS been on a whistle stop tour of Australia’s key grapegrowing areas staging workshops in the classroom and in the vineyard. And he has wowed crowds everywhere, including a gathering of more than 30 McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Peninsula growers. After the fast-talking Englishman had delivered his industry update on how to get more out of less in a spraying program most participants rated it as the best they have attended. Landers’ ‘spray application – doing it better’ workshop focused on best practice and the latest developments and improvements in spray application. Better still, he also told participants how to get better coverage and cut their chemical costs at the same time. Everyone got the chance to discuss

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and receive advice on local issues such as pests and diseases, canopy and application systems, travel speeds while spraying, spray volumes and chemical rates. Landers provided a practical demonstration of spray application assessment, improved penetration and deposition. The issue of spray drift was high on the agenda – and most got the chance to be hit in the face by a mist of spray as Landers proved his point. Despite the many challenges grapegrowers face, Landers said their biggest problem is still more spray drifting away than hitting the target. Not good for neighbourly relations he said – and a waste of time and money. “The economics of it is the bottom line – not putting enough of the product

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November 2013 – Issue 598

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

grapegrowing where it should be causes the vineyard to receive inadequate disease or insect control,” he said. “This can be a major issue so it’s the setting up of the sprayer which is paramount and in fact this is exactly what we did in the workshop – looking at fine tuning the sprayer.”

SPRAYING IS ‘SIMPLE’ According to Landers, droplet size is key to efficient and effective spray application. He said smaller droplets improve coverage, adhesion and spray use efficiency however larger droplets offer mass and momentum, longer evaporative life and a lower risk of drift. “Droplets are measured in microns and all sprayers produce a range of sizes,” he added. “Typically most volume will be in 50 to 500 micron droplets but best coverage and adhesion is seen with a smaller droplet the size of 70 to 150 microns.” There are many types of nozzles on the market and Landers said the toughest thing is working out which one suits the vineyard best. “There are also many different types of sprayers in multiple configurations – each come with different advantages

Wet test: The impact of sprays is captured on this water sensitive paper which is wrapped around leaves at various levels along each row.

and limitations and good calibration and set-up is needed for all of them,” he said. “It is always possible to improve the setup and performance of sprayer for different growth stages and targets.” Air assistance was also paramount and transported droplets from the nozzle to the target, protecting droplets against wind effects and shaking canopy leaves to improve penetration.

IMPORTANCE OF SPRAY EFFICACY Landers said off-target losses are a complete

waste of chemical spray and money. The risk of damage to the environment and the perception of neighbours and the general public was also a large issue. Although spray drift was largely avoidable, there are many things viticulturists can do to prevent it from occurring, or minimising it, including: • The influence on droplet size (selecting the right nozzle, operating pressure and adjuvants). • Equipment set-up (spray application volume, target size, air volume speed and direction). • Maximising on-target deposition (air assistance volumes and placement). • Recycling and capturing off-target spray.

SPRAY COVERAGE ASSESSMENT Landers suggested beginning with a visual assessment of the sprayer in operation. This involved observing the spray and adjusting the nozzles, air outputs and travel speed to match outputs with the canopy. “Get someone else to drive – the view from the tractor seat isn’t good enough. Observe from the upwind side of the sprayer and make obvious adjustments to fix any problems.” Using water sensitive paper was also

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November 2013 – Issue 598

a useful way to assess how much spray is being targeted onto the vines. This can be carried out effectively by placing the pieces of paper in areas which are most difficult to spray. “Fold the papers in half and pin them onto the vine leaves – this will give you a good indication of where the spray goes. “Aim to achieve no more than 15 per cent of the paper surfaces with adequate coverage.”

DRIFT REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY There are plenty of things an operator and owner can do to prevent drift reduction, according to Landers. “You can use various techniques such as selecting the right nozzle which releases droplets – certain nozzles ensure the spray doesn’t drift as much as a traditional nozzle,” he said. “These include air-induction nozzles which adjust the pressure so the spray doesn’t travel too far. “This nozzle provides large, airfilled drops which create less drift, uniform coverage and is excellent for herbicides.”

NEW SPRAY TECHNOLOGY Spray technology was constantly evolving

Copping a spray: Like any good coach Andrew Landers lays down the law to McLaren Vale grapegrowers at one of a series of recent spraying workshops around the country.

and now better machine design and the use of various electronic controllers have been produced to make the job easier. “The controllers adjust the flow rate on the move so viticulturists can maintain a constant application volume as the machine goes uphill and downhill,” Landers said. “There are also more things happening on site including operator safety, engineering control and a greater reduction in environmental pollution.” Old, traditional devices used to leave

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a large amount of spray on the ground which was polluting the environment. New technologies focus the spray onto the canopy; therefore the issue of spray drift is being prevented by simply swapping the old with the new. “Any units which direct the spray onto the canopy are the most effective – there’s a whole lot which companies produce which are more modern to fit today’s rules and regulations.” Contact: Andrew Landers. Phone: 0011 315 787 2429. Email: ajl31@cornell.edu.

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Seven things you always wanted to know about fungicide resistance Wayne F. Wilcox, Professor and Associate Chair of Cornell University’s Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology has put together his seven key questions – and answers – on fungicide resistance in grapevines. Wayne, you have been recently talking to growers and grape industry representatives about fungicide resistance. Can you explain what causes fungicide resistance?

I like to refer to the development of fungicide resistance as “evolution on steroids”. That is, when we first start using a class of fungicides to control a specific disease, vineyard populations of the fungus that cause it are composed almost entirely of individuals that are sensitive to those materials. However, there are a few naturally-occurring individuals that are either (i) immune to such fungicides (as has proven the case with the strobilurins and Ridomil, to name two that are important to grape producers), or (ii) require a particularly strong dose for good control (as has proven the case with the DMI fungicides). After sufficient use of the particular fungicide group in question, enough of these insensitive (resistant) types survive and multiply to a point that we’re no longer able to get commercial control of the disease even though we’re doing everything right when using it (proper timing and rates, thorough spray coverage, etc.), and we’ve reached a condition termed “practical resistance”.

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It’s important to note this is a twostep process: First, the resistant types survive multiple spray applications whereas the sensitive types don’t; that is, they’re “selected”. Second, once they’ve been selected, they multiply to a level where they cause economicallydamaging levels of disease. All our resistance management strategies are aimed at thwarting one of these two steps. It helps to remember that, and to compare the utility of different strategies within this context. Resistance to powdery mildew with strobilurin fungicides has recently been reported by Dr Trevor Wicks at SARDI and confirmed on several vineyards in Australia. What steps can growers take to manage this resistance?

Remember, we want to both minimise the initial selection of resistant individuals and severely limit the reproduction of any that do survive. To accomplish the first goal, we have two major strategies. One is to limit the number of selection events – that is, limit the number of sprays. In my part of the US, where we’ve had powdery mildew resistance to the strobilurins since 2002, we

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now recommend a maximum of two applications of these materials per year. The other strategy is to avoid spraying these products once you see more than a trace level of disease, meaning don’t use them to “put out a fire”. The reasoning for this is simple: If (for example) 1 per cent of your population is resistant but the population is small, you’ll have only a very few resistant survivors ready to cause trouble whenever the weather conditions are favourable thereafter. In contrast, if disease is rampant that means the pathogen population is large, and the 1 per cent resistant survivors will still make up a large “army” capable of causing disease immediately and multiplying our of control in no time thereafter. Use something else to put out the fire. To accomplish our second goal, we need to prevent these resistant survivors from multiplying to damaging levels, using some means other than the fungicide that is no longer effective against them. Which means we should utilise whatever non-chemical control methods are at our disposal and practical, in combination with an effective (good material, adequate rate), unrelated fungicide. This

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November 2013 – Issue 598

Resistance damage: The fallout of fungicide resistance results in damaged bunches on the vine, left, and tell-tale indications on the leaf.

can be done either by spraying a strobie solo in alternation with an unrelated material or by tank-mixing the strobie with something else that will provide good control of powdery mildew. Early in the life of these materials, a case can be made for both approaches, although our experience was that our first resistance problems were far less frequent on farms that had routinely tank-mixed than on those that merely alternated. And once a low level of resistance has built up, I’m much more comfortable with tank mixing. Why? If you spray a strobie solo

and don’t come back with something else for two weeks, you’ve allowed any resistant survivors a chance to complete two (nearly three) generations of potentially “explosive” reproduction without anything to stop them, at least under a range of temperatures that are fairly common during mildew season. In contrast, if you’re tank-mixing with something effective, the tank-mix partner should prevent or minimise such reproduction. Resistance is common enough in our region that virtually all of our growers tank-mix now.

How does resistance to strobilurin fungicides differ from the type of resistance we have previously experienced with the DMI (triazole) fungicides in grapes?

As I indicated earlier, strobilurin resistance is an “all or nothing” phenomenon, black or white. When a fungal colony is resistant to a strobilurin, it’s immune, regardless of which particular molecule (product) or rate being used. With DMIs, on the other hand, resistance is more a “shades of grey” phenomenon, and a colony resistant to a particular material at a given rate might

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grapegrowing be controlled by a higher rate of that material or by a different product that is “stronger”. The important thing to realise is DMI resistance has occurred to varying extents around the world, but its potential damage has often been minimised if not avoided altogether by increasing rates or switching to DMI products with greater “intrinsic” (inherent) activity. This is not an option with the stobilurins – once resistant isolates are present at a potentially damaging level, the only way you can control them commercially is with a different fungicide. What is the risk now for the strobilurin fungicides to develop resistance to downy mildew in grapevines?

The downy mildew organism developed resistance to the strobilurins in the wet parts of Europe as early as 2001. In the US, there is no downy mildew in California, but in the south eastern regions where it’s warm and it rains in the summer, downy mildew resistance began in 2005. In my cooler region of the northeast, where it also rains in the summer, downy mildew resistance is present but commercial problems have been erratic. In addition to our cooler temperatures, I’m convinced the fact that we limited strobilurins to two applications per season starting in 2003 is a significant reason why we’re generally still able to use them to control this disease. In most regions of Australia, the opportunity for selection and multiplication of resistant downy mildew individuals has been restricted by the limited number of infection periods that you’ve gotten over the past decade. Should weather patterns get back to anything close to “normal”, I’d think you should get a significant number of additional years out of these materials in such regions if you limited use to a maximum of two applications per year from here on out. However, where

Exid

disease pressure has been intensive enough to allow practical resistance to Ridomil to develop, I’d be a bit more concerned. In this case, there’s obviously the potential for the same thing to happen with the strobies, and I’d compare the number of strobie sprays I’d applied in periods with downy activity to the number I’d applied of Ridomil over the years until trouble developed. That latter number should at least give an indication of when you might need to start to really keep an eye on things with the strobies. If resistance has occurred to the strobilurin fungicides how long will it persist if they are no longer used?

Probably as long as that piece of ground has grapevines on it, I’m sorry to say. Is there any difference in the performance of the various strobilurin products once resistance occurs.....as you have noted for the DMI fungicide chemistry?

No. Fungal individuals resistant to one strobilurin are equally resistant to all of them. Too bad, but that’s just the way it is. When is the best time to use strobilurin fungicides in grapevines and when should they not be used?

We prefer to use our best materials right at the start of bloom and in the next spray application. That’s because this is when berries are by far the most susceptible to powdery mildew infections, they’re also highly susceptible to downy mildew, and it’s an important time to prevent the start of Botrytis infections. For the last 15 years, strobilurins and strobilurin tank mixes have been our best or among our best materials for control of these diseases, so this is when we feel that we get the most value for money when using them. As I said earlier, we strongly recommend against using these products once significant disease is present. I’m also aware you have some significant post-bloom restrictions unique to Australia, particularly on wine grapes. Contact: Wayne F Wilcox. Phone: 0011 1 315 787 2335. Email: wfw1@cornell.edu.

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Providing parched soils with a real boost IT’S AN UPHILL struggle when your vineyard is stuck with no subsoil moisture. Which is why Small Gully Wines’ and Oscar Estate’s Darren Zimmerman was looking for fast answers in winter last year. The Barossa Valley based producer said with no moisture in the vineyard he opted to give AquaBoost a try to rebuild soil moisture levels to somewhere near a typical winter profile. “We fertigated pre-flowering with AquaBoost AG30FB – Fulvic Blend to stimulate root activity, and set up the ideal soil moisture profile,” Zimmerman said. “We immediately noticed lateral spread from the drippers and improved moisture retention,” he said. “Su b s e q ue nt do s e s of AquaBoostAG30NWS were applied post flowering to maintain the moisture profile from dripper point to mid row. “And in the end our 2013 vintage was a very good yield in what was only an average, to below average, season. “It certainly got our plant health

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uniformity through a tough season and the best uniform plant health per vine was observed under AquaBoost.”

GREAT RESULT, BETTER OUTLOOK Zimmerman said this year he had seen better moisture retention leading to excellent bud burst and bunch numbers. He said as Aquaboost helped them match crop demand with water use they were anticipating another very good yield with excellent fruit quality. Product development manager Peter Burton said growers can now use technology to save on irrigation water usage, pumping energy costs and gain control over irrigation scheduling and plant moisture uptake. “AquaBoost AG30 and AG30FB – Fulvic Blend work for enhanced root growth and seedling establishment and AquaBoost AG30NWS has been specifically formulated to increase infiltration in hydrophobic and surface crusted non–wetting soils. “By modifying soil hydraulics AquaBoost blends facilitate infiltration,

lateral water movement and retention in the soil profile. Our blends can be used to break surface tension and get water into hydrophobic and surface crusted soils.” Burton said AquaBoost can also be used in soils with deep percolation issues to increase lateral movement of the water. He said this allowed for a wider wetting front while keeping water and fertiliser longer where they are needed most – in the root zone. It can be used in conjunction with liquid fertilisers to assist translocation requirements and reduce leaching while its blends are also effectively used to harvest maximum rainfall. “One of the critical issues with dripper irrigation and salinity is the creation of osmotic gradients within the soil profile. “By altering the soil wetting patterns our product can be very effective in the creation of head pressure which enables any rainfall event to be more effective in the movements of salts." Contact: Peter Burton, BioCentral Laboratories. Phone: 0417803537. Email: peterb@biocentral-labs.com.

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When management is all about measurement Viticulture guru Kym Ludvigsen runs his tape over the steps necessary to ensure people understand the secrets of summer management in the vineyard.

At a glance: • In establishing what processes to undertake it is important to measure because if you can’t measure what you do, you can’t manage it. • Grapegrowers tend to choose a vineyard sited based on a number of prejudices, primarily involving where they want to live and what they know of a particular wine region. • Once the region is selected the more difficult task of choosing a site is undertaken with particular emphasis in slope, soil and macroclimate and then choosing what varieties to plant where.

M A N A G IN G V INEYA RDS IN summer for high-quality grape production can be Vineyard management a complicated process – especially in cool climate vineyards. It is a time when vineyard variability can have a significant influence on the quality and yield of the grapes produced depending on what we do as growers. In establishing what processes to undertake it is important we measure because if you can’t measure what you do, you can’t manage it. This article is about the tools available for managing variation and quality indicators in the vineyard. Kristic et al (2001) found the typical between vine and bunch variability in a Quality parameter Brix

• Many practices will affect how grapes grow so the challenge is to manipulate the variables to come up with all the things required.

number of wine grape quality parameters as:In recent years a number of assessment sheets have been designed which establish a range of standards for vine measurements. Smart (S.Afr. JEnol Vitic Vol 11, No 1. 1990) proposed a set of measures which have since become standard for grapevines. The score sheet Smart constructed from his research established what is worth measuring and enables us to build a science based profile of standards for our vineyards that increase in relevance over time. The findings of Smart and others found: • Yield per vine was significantly positively correlated to berry weigh and bunch weight. • Fruit exposure and berry colour were significantly negatively related to a dapple – direct light scale.

Between vine variability

Between bunch variability

4–5%

5–9%

3–4%

3–5%

10 – 12 %

7 – 17 %

Berry weight (g)

6 – 20 %

10 – 15 %

Colour (mg/g f.w)

13 – 18 %

12 – 14 %

Polics (au/g fw)

13 – 17 %

8 – 12 %

T.A. (g/l)

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November 2013 – Issue 598

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grapegrowing • Berry colour was significantly positively related to per cent leaf functioning. • Sugar/acid balance and malic acid were significantly positively correlated to berry weight in Chardonnay. • Bunch weight was significantly positively related to flavour and sugar / acid balance; • Fruit weight to pruning weight ratio between 5 and 10. • Low fruit exposure was a desirable target with 40 per cent thought ideal. To achieve the target parameters outlined above and to meet the “ideal” vine balance basic information must be collected. The results increase the relevance of the data as they accumulate over the years. The key parameters for vine balance which require recording include: • At pruning where shoots per vine, bud number retained and pruning weight is recorded. • In late spring when shots per vine and bunches per vine are recorded; • At harvest where bunches per vine, bunch weight, Brix, T.A, pH and yield per vine are recorded. • After harvest when the ratio of yield to pruning weight and yield per metre row are recorded.

DECISIONS AFFECTING VINE PARAMETERS As grapegrowers we choose a vineyard sited based on a number of prejudices. Primarily these prejudices involve where we want to live and what we know of a particular wine region. Once the region is selected the more difficult task of choosing a site is undertaken with particular emphasis in slope, soil, macro-climate then choosing what varieties to plant where on the site is undertaken.

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To complicate the decision making after establishing the variety is whether to use rootstocks and then what rootstock in which situation with which soil needs to be decided. Both these decisions will have long-term influence on the viability of the vineyard and the growth habit of the vine. To add complexity upon complexity decisions involving planting density (row spacing and vine spacing), trellis design and irrigation type also need to be made. Each one of these decisions will affect how your vines grow – taken as individual choices and, when grouped together, these individual choices will influence all the growth parameters that can be measured in the vineyard.

MANIPULATIONS TO INFLUENCE VINE PARAMETERS 1 Pruning is often described as the first level of crop control. Hard pruning will invigorate the shoots compared to lighter pruning. Hence choice of pruning will affect quality parameters and influence what needs to be undertaken during the summer months to optimise grape quality. Getting the grapevines to express their natural vigour based on what you are trying to achieve will depend on experience and experimentation in your vineyard. 2 Soil management techniques can delete soil moisture levels or can reduce soil water losses, both of which also affect how a grapevine grows. Leaving a growing mid row sward will delete soil moisture levels which is appropriate to do in a high vigour situation but inappropriate in low vigour sites. Individual vine growth can be increased by severe pruning in all situations. Vine growth will be decreased where high bud numbers are left at pruning 3 Shoot thinning can open the vine canopy and may improve grape quality. The process of shoot thinning is the removal of unwanted shoot growth from head; cordon and arms when shoots are short (15 – 20 cms). Shoot thinning serves several roles: • it can help produce optimal shoot spacing; • it can reduce costs at pruning as spur positions are clearly identified; • it can invigorate the remaining shoots and could induce a poorer set on remaining shoots; • it can reduce high crop loads • it can increase bunch and berry size When applied at fruit set to retain 12 to 15 leaves it is a good method to achieve the desired canopy size and maintain quality as little to no compensation in growth occurs 4 Crop thinning is an expensive and time consuming process and is often restricted to young vines and replants to manage crop levels and ensure crops ripen adequately. Crop thinning removes excess grape clusters to ensure remaining clusters ripen in a timely manner. The process usually is preformed at veraison by removing green clusters and any second crop however the best quality comes when the vines are in balance. Where crop thinning is a band-aid process deemed necessary where the vine is growing wrong – wrong rootstock, variety, pruning, trellis, planting space or too much fertiliser for example. Researchers have shown crop thinning is appropriate where there are short shoots carrying two or three bunches of reasonable size and where there is excessively high yields and a dramatic (50 per cent) thinning is likely to cause sufficient change for an improvement in quality. As a general statement crop thinning is delayed until after berry set to decrease the risk of the vine compensating by means of an increase in the number of bunches set as well as berry and bunch mass increases, resulting in only a small reduction in yield. It can be noted crop removal around flowering can be a good practice in reliably high yielding varieties such as Viognier

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November 2013 – Issue 598

when it is easier to pinch bunches off shoots rather than later in the season when it is necessary to cut them off. 5 Leaf removal is a practice undertaken either early (when berries are pea size) and/or late (just prior to veraison). It is unnecessary in most years with most varieties in most Australian wine regions. It is certainly of no benefit to non-vigorous vines. Leaf removal is often undertaken in the December/January period in cooler regions as a remedial tool for improving air and light penetration into the fruit zone. The zone just above the fruit level is the main target area and most useful in high humidity high rainfall years. As a rough guide in cooler climates 12 to 15 leaves per shoot is the aim for optimum grape quality. 6 Foliage management involves lifting a pair of wires above the cordon area to bind canopy in mainly an upward direction. Some modern trellis practices (Scott Henry) involve both upward and downward wire movements undertaken to open the fruiting zone to higher levels of sun and air. The first wire lift is done just before flowering when shoots are around 300 cm in length. A second lift occurs approximately 4 to 6 weeks later. The idea of lifting wires is to create an ideal 1.5 leaf layer density across the fruit zone of a vertical trellis reducing the need to undertake any leaf removal or crop thinning. Lifting wires is a relatively cheap process that meets the needs of most vineyards in most years. 7 Irrigation practices will affect the crop level in a vineyard. In hot regions growers are more likely to increase water applied, as irrigation, in low price years to increase yields. In cooler regions irrigation water is used to maintain soil moisture levels to a calculated level for historical grape quality requirements. Irrigation practices are more a fine tuning practice based on water use history for a particular variety growing in a particular soil. A point often overlooked is different varieties either on their own roots or with rootstocks will vary in their water use. Similarly white varieties may require more water applications than red varieties to achieve the desired quality levels. 8 Fertilisers require care when applied to grapevines. Grapevines don’t appear to require large quantities of fertilisers to produce adequate crops of reasonable quality. On some soils and in some wine regions the addition of a particular fertiliser November 2013 – Issue 598

or group of fertilisers maybe required to correct any identified deficiency within the vine. The use of petiole sampling and/or sap analysis assists in identifying issues which may occur in the grapevine however it is thought necessary to act only after a history of several years shows a trend before acting to counter a deficiency or toxicity identified in grapevines. Many forms of fertiliser are available for use in agriculture but it is experience on your site with fertilisers that demonstrate improvements in your grapevine performance that should guide your fertiliser use. 9 The most important decision a grower or winemaker can make is the harvest date as it will affect the quality of the wine produced. The winemaker, in choosing a harvest date, will be trying to optimise the compositional characteristics of the fruit to suited their desired winemaking style. Science tells us the harvest date alone accounts for 42 per cent of the variability in quality ratings hence there is often tension at harvest as winemakers aim to increase hang time for their wine style requirements and growers want to harvest their grapes as soon as basic ripeness requirements are meet. Without a common vocabulary for winemakers and growers to use to describe varietal aromas and purchaser “style” requirements these tensions often high around harvest. The conclusion one can make from this is clear – the selection of harvest date requires a lot more science and less subjective opinion however every winemaker has “style” requirements that are different from other winemakers.

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CONCLUSION Clearly summer is a high activity time in the vineyard where viticultural practices can impact on wine style and quality perceptions. Grapegrowing involves an unlimited combination of variables over many of which the grower has no control. The concept we need to measure what we do in the vineyard to be able to adequately manage the vines to produce optimum crops of high quality fruit has never been more true. Many of our viticultural practices will affect how our grapes grow so the challenge is to manipulate the variables to come up with the things we are all ultimately striving for – a good glass of wine. The focus is on the end product – that’s where it all starts. Contact: Kym Ludvigsen. Phone: 61 3 5352 2798. Email: ludvigsn@vic.chariot. net.au. www.winebiz.com.au

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grapegrowing

From the DELTA to the Murray it runs clean TURNING WATER INTO wine covers the production chain from A to Z. But without the best water programs the wheels really start to fall off – in quality and quantity. Irrigation Grapegrowers in South Australia’s productive Riverland are turning to the latest technology to not just lift performance but also drastically cut maintenance in their vital irrigation systems. Renmark-based irrigation agronomist Trevor Sluggett said his grapegrower clients have been more than happy after installing DELTA technology. Sluggett, who works with Riverland-based River Rain Irrigation, said an increasing number of grapegrowers are recognising the potential the technology can deliver to drip irrigation systems. “Interest in the DELTA product is increasing as growers hunt for ways to boost irrigation system efficiency, lower water use and improve yields,” he said. According to Sluggett some growers who have been plagued with clogged dripper irrigation systems due to algae and other biological activity have reported substantial maintenance savings after installing a DELTA unit. “All these systems in the lower part of the Murray River need a stringent maintenance program or the performance of these systems declines over time,” he said. “Growers pumping water from backwaters off the main river

Water world: Riverland grapegrower Dino Sigismondi, right, installed a DELTA SU450 SL501 onto a 450mm pipeline on the Murray River 30km downriver from Loxton, SA.

stream have been the keenest to install the technology as they find their water is harder to filter and drip systems block up quickly. “These growers have had such good results even growers pumping the better quality water are showing interest.” Grapegrower Dino Sigismondi and his wife Veronica grow

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56 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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November 2013 – Issue 598

grapes on about 250ha split between the Lyrup and New Residence districts on the Murray. They reckon it was a ‘very good day’ when they first installed the DELTA technology on their drip irrigation system about six years ago. Since then Sigismondi has added another five DELTA units to his vineyard operation after the technology proved itself in keeping algae from his irrigation systems. “The units keep the dripper lines very clean,” Sigismondi said. “Since installing them I haven’t had to chlorinate the drippers and I used to do that twice a year,” he said. “We’ve now got a clean, more efficient system, the pressure is higher and I think the vines look a lot healthier too.” Grapegrower Louis Curtis also believes his irrigation system is cleaner and more efficient since he installed three DELTA water conditioners to treat river water supply. Curtis, who runs second-generation Curtis Vineyards at Pike River in SA, said he turned to DELTA technology about three years ago after becoming frustrated with having to clean filter systems at his pump stations so regularly. “Over time I noticed the automatic

Clean treatment: The DELTA water treatment unit on Dino Sigismondi’s pipeline, which irrigates a 121ha vineyard in SA.

flush filters weren’t flushing as often and that tells me the system’s running much cleaner,” he said. “I pulled the filters down a few months later and they were cleaner. It has cut

maintenance of the filters at the pump station by at least 30 per cent.” Contact: Delta Water Solutions. Phone: 1800 283 600 or visit deltawatersolutions. com.au.

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking winemaking

Here’s a hot idea straight out of the microwave

Anna Carew is heading a team at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture working on an idea about the controlled release of Pinot Noir phenolics by microwave – and early trials show it tastes like a winner. IN A QUIET laboratory, in a sleepy suburb, in Australia’s smallest state, scientists are working on a hot new idea for red winemaking. Called ‘controlled phenolic release’ it is based on microwaving grape must. Researchers at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) have been investigating the effect microwaving Pinot Noir must has on wine phenolics. The TIA team found this unconventional approach produced Pinot Noir wines with richer colour and a higher tannin concentration, compared with wines made using a standard submerged cap fermentation process. Principal investigator on the microwave project Dr Anna Carew indicated the research is in its early stages but shows promise on several different fronts. “Early on we were really excited by the difference in tannin concentration between the control and microwave treatment wines,” Dr Carew said. “The microwave wines were around three times higher in tannin and had double the anthocyanin concentration of the control,” she said. “We’re still really pleased about the good phenolic outcomes but there also appeared to be some important potential savings in fermentation time and tank space from this approach. “Lately, we’ve been adjusting process parameters and we’ve worked out how to ‘dial up’ a desired tannin concentration in Pinot Noir grape musts.

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At a glance: • The TIA team found this unconventional approach produced Pinot Noir wines with richer colour and a higher tannin concentration. • The microwave wines were around three times higher in tannin and had double the anthocyanin concentration of the control Pinot Noir. • While tannin concentration is limited by the tannin available in the fruit, it is hoped to deliver winemakers more control over such an important Micro moment: Microwaving Pinot Noir must for small-scale CPR experimental wine making.

CHASING ANSWERS “Obviously tannin concentration is limited by the tannin available in the fruit, but it would be nice to deliver winemakers just that little bit more control over such an important wine parameter as tannin concentration. “There are still plenty of questions which need answers – we need to sort out how our ‘dial up’ must tannin translates into wine tannin concentration and also to work with winemakers to find out how much tannin they would really like to see in their Pinot Noir wines and whether

parameter as tannin concentration.

they like the mouth-feel qualities of the tannin profile we can create.” The microwave winemaking to-date has been done on a very small scale, with most trials producing around 1.5 litres of wine. This means only a select few have tasted the wines. The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) has actively supported TIA’s microwave research and the AWRI’s group manager of industry applications and experienced wine show judge Peter Godden was one of the first to

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winemaking put his tastebuds on the line and provide feedback on Pinot Noir made using the microwave maceration method. “This research had always been particularly interesting,” Godden said. “But seeing what had previously been numbers on a page relating to the chemical analysis of the wines, translate to the actual wine in the glass was very exciting. “The difference between the microwave-treated wine and wine made from the same fruit without microwave treatment was very obvious,” he said. “The microwaved wine was darker in colour, had a more pronounced varietal fruit nose, and in the mouth it was plush and soft with lovely mouth-coating tannins.” AWRI’s involvement with TIA’s wine research is funded through the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC) and so the research needs to have significance beyond Tasmania – and beyond Pinot Noir.

Processing closeup: CPR-treated must (left) and fresh pressed must (right) with CPR, skins have been stripped of colour.

We’ve been adjusting process parameters and we’ve worked out how to ‘dial up’ a desired tannin concentration in Pinot Noir grape musts

Keeping it small: THe research program’s small-scale basket press in action after the CPR treatment of Pinot Noir must.

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Coffee-pot comparison: TIA’s ‘tank farm’ with control treatment (no CPR) on the left, and two CPR ferments on the right.

ON THE ROAD Godden explained TIA took the microwave method to the AWRI’s Hunter Valley node during the 2013 vintage to examine the effect of microwave maceration on Shiraz. TIA set up a ‘mobile laboratory’ in the corner of De Iuliis Winery at Pokolbin and

learned some valuable lessons about the differences between laboratory and ‘real world’ winemaking. AWRI Hunter Valley node manager Samantha Connew said the trial was a great learning experience for all parties involved and a perfect example of the value of doing research outside the laboratory.”

Dr Carew reported the TIA team worked hard to generate ‘proof of concept’ that microwave could reliably produce a better quality of wine than standard methods. “We really needed to keep our heads down and run lots of trials before sharing with industry and other scientists what we’ve been up to,” she said. “We are now at the stage of scaling-up the process to semi-commercial. “It’s taken three years of small-lot wine making just to be sure that we can reliably make good wine and to make all the mistakes we need to so we know where the pitfalls are with this new process. “It has also been important to understand how microwaving impacts on the physical structure of the grape and we were lucky to find a terrific histologist who thin sectioned and stained our microwaved grape skins so we could compare them with grape skins which hadn’t been microwaved. “You could see microwaves had penetrated the grape skin cells and compromised the membranes inside the grape. That seems to be why microwave is releasing colour compounds and tannins so rapidly.”

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November 2013 – Issue 598

On the go: Work being conducted in the ‘mobile lab’ at DeIuliis Winery in the Hunter Valley (NSW) earlier this year.

If the TIA group is successful in attracting funding for more microwave maceration research, next year will be an exciting vintage for Dr Carew and the winemakers who have volunteered to join semi-commercial trials. “We held a tasting in Victoria’s Yarra Valley and two of the winemakers there volunteered on the spot,” she said. “I guess they felt the wines we presented had something worth pursuing. We’ve had great interest from Victorian winemakers and so far, five have volunteered to join for next year.

MOVING TRIALS “The next stage of the research has to be conducted in Victoria because the CSIRO has a commercial-sized microwave unit which they’ve offered us the use of. “We have some data which suggests one of our microwave maceration methods may generate intensely fruity, floral aromas in wine. “We’d like to investigate that further because if we understand why those wines are so pretty, we might be able to better control that aspect of wines. Switch it up or down a little, depending on the style winemakers and consumers are looking for”. TIA deputy director Dugald Close said prospects were bright for the microwave maceration method and TIA might deliver more new methods in coming years. “Another of our researchers, Angela Sparrow, has taken a new rapid extraction method to semi-commercial trials and early indications are winemakers are impressed by the tannin structure and mouth-feel qualities of wines made using her berry pricking method,” Dr Close said. For a small research group, in a small town, the TIA team is working hard to make a big difference to the quality of Pinot Noir. It may take a few more years, but new methods such as microwave maceration and berry pricking may one day fundamentally alter Australia’s red winemaking landscape. Contact: Anna Carew. Phone: 61 3 6336 5238. Email: Anna. Carew@utas.edu.au. November 2013 – Issue 598

For further information, please contact Kauri NZ Tel: 0800 KAURIWINE NZ Fax: 04 910 7415 Email: winery@kauri.co.nz

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winemaking

Sally’s Paddock survives the great wine rush When the first Sally’s Paddock was released in 1976 there were 35 wineries in Victoria. Now there are 840 but Grahame Whyte discovers there’s still life in the old girl – and the guy who made the bold decision to explore into the Pyrenees. WHEN VETERAN WINEMAKER, Neill Robb founded Redbank winery in 1973, there were only about five or six boutique wineries in all Australia. And Victoria’s Pyrenees was a genuine pioneering region. While Robb was carving out his niche in the market, Grapegrower & Winemaker was a decade down the track and well on its way towards its 50th year anniversary. While staking a claim as the national bible of the winegrape and winery industries. “It was an interesting time – it was all a bit isolated then,” Robb reflected of the Pyrenees. “Max Lake kicked off the world boutique wine industry in ’67 when he planted at Lakes Folly, but even when we started it was still only Lakes Folly, Balgownie, Yarra Yering and I don’t know whether Mount Mary got started then but there were very few anyway,” he said. “I often quote this stat: when we released the first Sally’s Paddock – our first vintage was in ’76 and the first Sally’s Paddock label was in ’79 – and in that year there were 35 wineries in Victoria. Now there are 840.”

At a glance: • The whole issue about starting Sally’s Paddock was to go back and create a more complex wine style, but blended. • Robb wanted to return to that lovely Australian wine style, a Cabernet blend, but with new knowledge and new wood and a lot of introduced techniques to create a more complex and interesting style. • Daughter Sasha has taken on the mantle of winemaker, nurturing Sally’s Paddock through its various phases until it is finally ready for release.

Robb grew up in the Hunter Valley, where his father was the vineyard manager at Mount Pleasant and Maurice O’Shea was still making the wines. “My father learned about winemaking from him and I’ve picked up a lot of stuff

from him. He had a lot of wines from that period, my father, a lot of blended wines,” he said. “In the ’70s there was this huge fashion – I think mainly inspired by the Californians – for single variety wines, so people insisted, is this 100 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, and if it wasn’t they wouldn’t buy it.

BACK TO THE FUTURE “So the whole issue about starting Sally’s Paddock was to go back and create a more complex wine style, but blended. Actually, we didn’t tell anybody what was in it – only more recently have we had a back label, when we required barcodes.” Robb really wanted to return to what was previously a lovely Australian wine style, a Cabernet blend, but also with new knowledge and new wood and a lot of the techniques pioneered by people such as Lake, to create a more complex and interesting style. He planted Shiraz and Cabernet in 1973 and then replanted more Cabernet and a mix of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec.

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November 2013 – Issue 598

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Plucky pioneer: Neill Robb has seen numbers in the VIctorian wine industry explode since he pioneered the move of his boutique winery into the Pyrenees in the south west of the state.

Merlot gives you a big hit in the middle. “That’s the great success of Australian Malbec is more a finessing sort of variety. Shiraz – that it is a standalone wine,” It has got a lot of sophistication about Robb said. it. More recently, we have planted a “It can make a beautiful wine. As dedicated Malbec vineyard.” we all know Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit chancy and sometimes will make a beautiful wine on its own, but often VINE SELECTION it responds well to a bit of judicious The dry-grown vineyards are still only blending, depending on your terroir.” around 20 ha, with some of the old Cabernet The iconic Sally’s Paddock has vineyards being reworked as they head changed significantly over the years. towards the end of their lifespan. Some “The ’79 would’ve been pretty strongly vines have been retained and some pulled Shiraz and Cabernet and not much of some out and replaced with Malbec. anything else. Robb said he’d had fun and games “Now there’s about 15 per cent with 15 years of drought, but being deep Cabernet Franc and about 5 per cent rooted, the vines survived very well. Merlot and up to 5 per cent Malbec. “The crops were down, but we have “We’re lucky with Cabernet Franc – it had pretty good vintages, so as part of seems to do very well here, I suspect it’s the 40th celebrations we lined up all the our non-irrigated culture, because it has wines on the weekend and it was really 1 a tendency to overcrop. With its nice210x297.indd surprising how many of them are really herbaceous character and sometimes good,” he said. vegetable, spice characters it adds a lot “Normally we come to grape maturity of finesse to Cabernet Sauvignon. about the same time we’ve got the sugar “Shiraz gives you a lot of middle and there. Through most of the 1970s the

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winemaking

Mustang Sally: Neill Robb and wife Sally, the woman who inspired his signature product Sally’s Paddock with the first release in 1979.

alcohols on the Sally’s were 11 or 12 per cent, then that sort of changed with this global warming period and we’ve had some troubles with high alcohols because they wouldn’t reach maturity before they got sugar ripe, so we got some wines at 16 per cent. We would normally not prefer that, but the trouble is they’re absolutely magical – they’re beautiful wines. “Vintage started this year in February and then went very late. It was a very small crop, with Pinot coming in first. Usually Shiraz comes in ahead of Cabernet but this year Cabernet came in first – it was all very odd. A beautiful wine – the wines came out really special, just not enough of it,” he said.

SEASONAL CHALLENGES

For further information, please contact Kauri NZ Tel: 0800 KAURIWINE NZ Fax: 04 910 7415 Email: winery@kauri.co.nz

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AUS Tel: 1800 127 611 AUS Fax: 1800 127 609 Website: www.kauriwine.com

“As an estate grown wine, Sally’s seems to simplify winemaking. Picking very close to the winery means the fruit is in the system within half an hour, reducing damage. We just crush and destem the reds and put them in open fermenters of about a tonne-and-a-quarter or a tonne-and-a-half and hand punch them – in that size of course, we tend not to have overheating. “Later in the season we sometimes have to put the heater under the late Cabernets because it’s so cold over that period. Normally we start picking in March and finish late April and by late April it’s starting to be cracking cold at night. “Shiraz will spend six days in the fermenters. If we do the whole bunch, Pinot may take a while, but not more than 10 days – Cabernet sometimes up to 20 days in the fermenter. “We just press them and put them in stainless steel for a couple of days and let them drop some solids, then rack them off into wood – we use puncheon size wood, both old and new.” These days, daughter Sasha has taken on the mantle of winemaker, nurturing Sally’s Paddock through its various phases until it is finally ready for release. This allows her dad to play the vital role of mentor. “She’s good; she’s been in Germany and the Sonoma Valley, so she’s got experience and a modern, technical education, which I don’t have. “Much as we hate to admit it, your palate does change as you grow older – it’s great to have a young palate in the winery. “We agree about most things and complement each other. I help when I can but Sasha is doing most of the day-to-day stuff, and everybody pitches in at vintage.” And the future for the Australian wine industry? “I reckon there’s another boom left in me – I think it’s going to get better and better,” Robb said. Contact: Neill Robb. Phone: 61 3 54 677 255. Email: info@ sallyspaddock.com.au.

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November 2013 – Issue 598

Potato, a new source of vegetal protein for allergen-free fining of juice and wine

ALLERGEN FREE

Nerea Iturmendi, Virginie Moine and Karien O’Kennedy write about a role for patatin in wine fining which opens a new world for vegetarians, those with allergies – and the humble spud.

At a glance: • Traditional fining agents such as casein, egg white and isinglass are also potential allergens and require labelling on the bottle. • Pure potato protein, patatin, is being investigated for winemaking in the hope it can be a more effective alternative to pea proteins. • In some instances it performs better than animal product and allergen alternatives and at a lower dosage.

TRADITIONALLY ALL PROTEIN fining agents used in juice and wine were of animal origin: gelatine (pork), casein (cow’s milk), egg white (hens) and isinglass (fish). This makes wine treated with any of these products unsuitable for vegetarians and/or vegans. Casein, egg white and isinglass are also considered potential allergens and require labelling on the bottle. So there is the need for new, effective protein fining agents which are from plant origin and have no allergen risk. Initially pea proteins were investigated and then legalised by the European Union for use in winemaking in 2006. Various oenological products containing pea protein have since been commercialised. In 2009 Laffort started to investigate the use of pure potato protein, patatin, for use in winemaking with the hope it could be a more effective alternative to pea proteins.

VEGECOLL

VEGETAL CLARIFICATION

Figure 1. Reduction of OD420 (yellow colour) of 2012 Sauvignon Blanc juice after 48 hours of fining with the Vegecoll, pea protein, Polymust Press, Polymust V, Polymust Org and Polylact. November 2013 – Issue 598

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winemaking Patatin is commonly used in the food industry due to its low allergen risk and emulsifying properties. Research and trial results since 2009 have proven patatin is a suitable alternative and in some instances it performs better than the animal product and allergen alternatives. In addition, a much lower dosage is required to obtain satisfactory results. As a result Laffort submitted an application to the OIV to include patatin (protein obtained from Solanum tuberosum) in the list of allowable plant proteins for use in winemaking and it was granted in June 2013 (OIV-OENO 495/2013). Patatinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inclusion into EU wine legislation is expected in January 2014. In Australia, Food standard 4.5.1 (Wine Production Requirements) permits the use of plant proteins that are foods as processing aids so patatin in winemaking is already legal in Australian wine. Laffort is the sole distributor of patatin under the brand name Vegecoll.

CHARACTERISTICS OF VEGECOLL The molecular weight distribution of the proteins in Vegecoll as obtained by electrophoresis indicates similarities to pea protein and egg white protein, indicating its fining capacity could be similar to these two proteins. Vegecoll has a high Zeta Potential when compared to gelatine, egg white and pea protein (Table 1). Zeta Potential is a measurement of the charge (electrokinetic potential) a specific particle or ion has in a colloidal system, in this case juice or wine. Fining agents with a high Zeta Potential (positive or negative) can show a high sedimentation rate. Sedimentation can also be related to particle size of a fining agent, which determines flock size.

FINING OF JUICE DURING SETTLING Trials conducted in 2011 on oxidised Falanghina juice (an Italian white varietal) compared fining with Vegecoll to fining with bentonite and casein, respectively. The same dosage was used for all three treatments. Settling and clarification was achieved much faster with Vegecoll and it was also the most efficient in the removal of oxidised pigments in the juice. In another experiment on 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, Vegecoll was compared with pure pea protein, Polymust Press (isinglass, PVPP, bentonite), Polymust V (pea protein, PVPP), Polymust Org (pea protein, bentonite) and Polylact (PVPP, potassium caseinate). Vegecoll was just as effective as the other fining agents in its ability to clarify, albeit at a much lower dosage. In terms of the ability to lower the yellow pigment (OD 420) in wine, only Polymust V was more effective than Vegecoll in this trial, but this can be attributed to the higher dosage used for Polymust V (Figure 1). In 2013 Vegecoll was compared with Polylact, Polymust V and two different pea proteins. A much bigger reduction of oxidised colour was obtained with Vegecoll at much lower dosages (Figure 2).

FLOTATION Results from flotation of white juice suggest Vegecoll is a great alternative to gelatine for this application. Commercial scale experiments done in France in 2012 with Colombard showed 50 ppm Vegecoll gave better results than 100 ml/hl of liquid gelatine. Flotation with Vegecoll required only 30 minutes compared to 90 minutes with gelatine. The lees were more compact and the resulting wine had

Figure 2. Colour reduction of a 2013 oxidised white press juice from Bordeaux. Vegecoll was compared to Polylact, Polymust V and two different pea proteins. Vegecoll was the most effective, even at lower dosages.

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68 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Figure 3: Thiol and ester analyses (after alcoholic fermentation), expressed as compound concentration related to its threshold, after juice fining with Vegecoll and liquid gelatine. www.winebiz.com.au

November 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 598

Figure 4. Fining tests in 2012 Merlot, turbidity measurement after 48 hours. Fining with egg albumin (Albucoll), liquid gelatine (Gecoll Supra), Vegecoll and formulation of pea protein and calcium bentonite (Polymust Org).

Figure 5. 2012 Merlot (thermovinification) fining. Final turbidity (NTU after 48 hours) of tests with Vegecoll, Vegecoll and silica gel combination, Polymust Press and a liquid gelatine silica gel combination.

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winemaking more esters and thiols after fermentation, when compared to the wine treated with gelatine (Figure 3). There was also a significant improvement in wine colour due to Vegecoll’s ability to remove certain phenolic compounds (catechin and epi-catechin), which could oxidise to form quinones. The latter can combine with thiols and glutathione to have a negative effect on wine aroma.

RED WINE FINING Red wine fining has three objectives: clarification, organoleptic improvement and colour stabilisation. In a laboratory fining trial, Vegecoll was compared with Albucoll (liquid egg white), Gecoll Supra (liquid gelatine) and Polymust Org (pea protein and calcium bentonite). Vegecoll was able to reduce wine turbidity as effectively as the other products and it did so at a much lower dosage (Figure 4). In addition Vegecoll reduced salivareactive tannins, indicating Vegecoll can have an effect on astringent tannins. Vegecoll at 50 ppm was also as effective as Gecoll Supra (50 ml/hl) in the stabilisation of colour.

THERMO-VINIFICATION Comparative experiments have shown Vegecoll is as effective as other fining agents in the clarification of thermo treated red wines (Figure 5). While the main purpose in the fining of thermo treated red wine is clarification, it is important the wine structure and organoleptic qualities are maintained. In this trial the SPI (Saliva Precipitation Index) was stable after treatment, suggesting treatment with Vegecoll does not lead to a loss of wine structure in thermo treated wines.

CONCLUSIONS The use of Vegecoll at a low dosage is as effective as other fining agents

Table 1: Zeta Potential (mV) and particle size in a model wine solution (TA 4 g/L, 12% ethanol and pH 3.60) of Vegecoll in comparison to usual fining agents and pea protein. Zeta Potential (mV)

Particle size (µm)

Vegecoll

17.9 ± 1.5

250 – 715 (78%)

Gelatine 1

-14.6 ± 0.9

1-3

Gelatine 2

11.2 ± 0.4

3 – 10 (97%)

Gelatine 3

13.3 ± 0.2

3 – 10 (96.6%)

Egg albumin

11.6 ± 0.3

51 – 220 (62.5%)

Pea protein

-1.7 ± 0.2

250 – 830 (99%)

Product

Directive 2003/89/CE du Parlement Européen et du Conseil du 10 novembre 2003 modifiant la directive 2000/13/CE en ce qui concerne l’indication des ingrédients présents dans les denrées alimentaires. Journal officiel de l’Union européenne L308, 15-18. Gambuti A., Rinaldi A. & Moio L., 2011. Patatin, a protein extracted from potato used as alternative to animal proteins in wine fining. Proceeding of the 34th World Congress of vine and Wine Porto. ISBN 989-2449. Gambuti A., Rinaldi A., & Moio L., 2012. Use of Patatin, a protein extracted from potato, as alternative to animal proteins in fining of red wine. European Food research and Technology, DOI 10.1007/S00217012-1791-Y. Holm F. & Eriksen S., 1980. Emulsifying properties of un-denatured potato protein concentrate. Journal of Food Technology 15, 71-83.

of animal origin. The flotation results with Vegecoll indicate it is a very good substitute for gelatine. Vegecoll not only promotes effective flotation, but it also removes oxidised phenolic compounds (especially in press juice) and those susceptible to oxidation. Results with Vegecoll used in conjunction with bentonite to clarify young white and rosé wines for early bottling proved promising. Further evaluation is needed for this application. In reds, Vegecoll can be used to clarify thermo-vinified wines or for the reduction of aggressive tannins of red wines that were fermented normally on the skins. Using Vegecoll enables wineries to market their wines as “suitable for vegetarians and vegans” and no allergen labelling is required. Vegecoll, Polymust, Polylact, Albucoll and Gecoll Supra are registered trademarks of Laffort. Contact: Karien O’Kennedy. Phone: 27 21 882 8106. Email: karien@laffort.com.au.

Iturmendi N., Moine V. & Teissedre P.L., 2012. Les produits de levure: application au collage de vin rouge. Revue des Œnologues n°145, 11-14.

References

Rinaldi A., Gambuti A. & Moio L., 2012. Application of the SPI (Saliva Precipitation Index) to the evaluation of red wine astringency. Food Chemistry, 135, 24982504.

Castells M.C., Pascual C., Martin Esteban M. & Ojeda J.A., 1986. Allergy to white potato. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 78, 1110-1114. Cheynier V., Rigaud J. & Moutounet, M., 1990. Oxidation kinetics of trans-caffeoyltartrate and its glutathione derivatives in grape musts. Phytochemistry, 29 (6), 1751-1753.

Knorr D., Kohler G.O. & Betschart A. A., 1977. Potato protein concentrates: The influence of various methods of recovery upon yield, compositional and functional characteristics. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation 1, 235-246. Moine V., Iturmendi N., Rinaldi A., Gambuti A. & Moio L., 2012. Enological potentiality use of patatin a protein extracted from potato, as non-allergenic fining agent for musts and wines. Congres Macrowine, Bordeaux, Juin 2012. Nikolantonaki M. Incidence de l’oxydation des composés phénoliques sur la composante aromatique des vins blancs, Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, 2010. Règlement (CE) n° 258/97 du Parlement Européen et du Conseil du 27 janvier 1997 relatif aux nouveaux aliments et aux nouveaux ingrédients alimentaires. Journal officiel des Communautés européennes L43, 1-6. Règlement (CE) n° 606/2009 de la Commission du 10 juillet 2009 fixant certaines modalités d’application du Règlement (CE) n° 479/2008 du Conseil en ce qui concerne les catégories de produits de la vigne, les pratiques œnologiques et les restrictions qui s’y appliquent. Journal officiel de l’Union européenne L193, 1-59. Renouf V., Louazil P., Iturmendi N., Moine V. & Daulmy B., 2013. Nouvelles alternatives pour le collage des moûts de raisins blancs : Intérêts techniques et résultats pratiques. Revue des Œnologues n°147, 30-33.

Rinaldi A., Gambuti A. & Moio L., 2011. Application of the SPI (Saliva Precipitation Index) to evaluate the effect of fining agents on Aglianico (Vitis Vinifera cv.) wine OENO 2011 – Actes de colloques du 9e symposium d’oenologie de Bordeaux, Ed Dunod.

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November 2013 – Issue 598

I see a red doll and I want to paint it... red Tim Nicholls doesn’t know if he is Arthur or Martha, winemaker or educator. But he’s having a bash at them all with his innovative approach to the Asian wine market and his own Red Dolls label in SA’s McLaren Vale. FIRST CAME THE Scarlett Pimpernel, swimming just ahead of the Crimson Tide. Then that girl who was so Pretty in Pink. But things started getting red hot with the Hunt for Red October. And who knows how many others had a red door and only wanted to paint it black For those of us of a certain vintage, well, there was always that red under the bed. Now how does that song go? That’s it, “I see red, I see red; I see red”. And for husband and wife couple Shelley Dover and Tim Nicholls life is all about red – from their red-headed daughters to their Red Dolls wine. This is a vineyard cum winery with that oh, so elusive point of differentiation in the marketplace. Because its wine could almost be considered a by-product of what owners Shelley and Tim are actually doing. Dover is in IT and Nicholls had been in hospitality and restaurants around Australia and overseas before they washed up in McLaren Vale where Shelley fell in love with a house which had a small Shiraz vineyard attached. “Shelley wanted the house and I wanted the vineyard,” Nicholls said. “Although it is so small,” he said, “and we are lucky if we get 250 cases off it in a year.” Which contain those bottles labelled Red Dolls. And named after those charming little redheads Gabriella, 9, and Natalie, 3. Nicholls had not exactly wasted his time in hospitality and as a sommelier knew all about the selection and service of fine wine, now he just had to learn how to produce it. Which included a four-year stint at nearby Coriole – six months in the vineyard, six months in the winery and three as cellar door and events manager. But it was his participation in a University of SA MBA which would prove the defining moment for Red Dolls and Nicholls. “One of the electives was a threeweek visit to China and I very quickly realised this was the growth market and I wanted to learn more about doing business there,” he said. November 2013 – Issue 598

At a glance: • Red Dolls outsources its lab work and bottling but Tim Nicholls’ studies and time in China showed him there was real potential there – for education. • For $260 participants get picked up in Adelaide, a presentation about production, vineyard walk and explanation and tastings, including comparisons with other McLaren Vale wines. • Red Dolls has just completed a promotion in partnership with Tourism SA through the National Wine Centre and is getting a lot of referrals from Chinese students and business people.

“But with 250 cases we weren’t exactly going to be a serious export opportunity and to be fair, if you look around here we could only loosely be called a winery. “We outsource our lab work and bottling but my studies and my time in China showed me there was real potential here – for education.” It was an epiphany worth bottling. Now, for $260, participants in the Red Dolls introduction to wine get picked up in Adelaide, a presentation about the production of wine, vineyard walk and explanation, tastings, including comparisons with other McLaren Vale wines, lunch and even a quick tourism visit to the nearby coast. The target market is unashamedly Chinese – to the extent the Red Dolls website at reddollswine.com is bilingual. Nor is it a pipedream. Red Dolls has just completed a promotion in partnership with Tourism SA through the National Wine Centre and is getting a lot of referrals from Chinese students and business people who have colleagues, friends and family visit them. And although Nicholls is trying to fast-track his participation with conversational Mandarin classes, he also has two native speakers on the payroll who accompany tours. “Wine which has for centuries been refined to western tastes is actually www.winebiz.com.au

Harvest time: The small harvest from Red Dolls in McLaren Vale produces around 250 cases a year.

asking a big cultural shift for the Asian market, and particularly a market the size of China,” he said. “Many there see wine as a luxury western item but they are yet to really either understand or enjoy the whole experience. “Australia as an exporting winemaker has to learn to understand the Chinese palate and make something which the market there wants because the Chinese don’t like heavy tannins or high acids. They want something soft and easy to drink.” Red Dolls has already done some focus group work in the market and is trying to match those results to the education programs it is running. Which include the opportunity for people to ‘adopt a vine’. For $240 you get a 12-month membership which delivers a monthly photo of your tagged vine, a blog about what is happening in the vineyard and at the end of the year a bottle of wine. “This is a visual, educational tool which complements our in-house education program,” Nicholls said. “Anyone with a vine can ask any question they want at any time but our experience at this stage is already showing us most are content with the basic information. “Which is where we come in.” Contact: Tim Nicholls, Red Dolls. Phone: 0421 645 719. Email: tim@reddollswine. com.au. Grapegrower & Winemaker

ask the

Understanding the ABCs of CMCs in stabilisation In recent times, the AWRI has received increasing numbers of queries regarding carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and its use in relation to tartrate stabilisation. Some the questions received and the responses provided are detailed below. Is CMC natural?

CMC is a cellulose derivative which is synthesised by the reaction of cellulose with chloroacetic acid in basic solution, so it’s not a natural product. Although CMC is not a natural product, it is safe to use in food production as it is not degraded or reabsorbed in humans1. Does CMC dissolve in water?

CMC dissolves readily in water or wine, but should be left to swell overnight1. Dry/granular forms of CMC might be difficult to prepare in some wineries, as very vigorous stirring can be required to dissolve the CMC due to high viscosity 2. It is suggested that liquid forms of CMC are easier to handle in large quantities2. Liquid CMC can be diluted with wine to the required volume of the product, which can then be added to the wine tank with homogenisation 3. Does the wine need to be protein stable before using CMC?

CMC has the ability to crosslink with proteins in wine to form a haze 4. Consequently, wines must be protein stable before any CMC additions. In fact, a wine must be ‘bottle ready’ before making a CMC addition and no subsequent physicochemical modifications can be made after the addition 3. That is, all blending, acid adjustments or deacidification treatment, concentrate additions etc. must be made and the wine must be free of any particulate matter before CMC treatment. Note that lysozyme is a protein and can generate a haze if present with CMC. Is filtration an issue after using CMC?

Manufacturers of CMC generally do not recommend any filtering operations at all within a minimum of 24–48 hours after the CMC addition. CMC needs to be fully solvated before attempting to filter, otherwise filters might block and CMC might be removed from solution4.

72 Grapegrower & Winemaker

Consequently, it is recommended that 2 to 5 days be allowed for the CMC to integrate fully with the wine before any filtration4.

some Rosé wines, however, bench trials should be conducted to assess potential colour precipitation and effectiveness prior to use3,6,7.

What rate of CMC should be used?

Does CMC affect the sensory properties of a wine?

CMCs vary in their degree of polymerisation and the degree of substitution. Therefore, different CMCs will vary in their effectiveness. Consequently, the rate used should be that specified by the manufacturer. In general, the rate specified by the manufacturer is sufficient to achieve stability but the actual required effective dose can be wine variety dependant4. In the case of wines with a high tartrate loading, or in the case of Rosé wines, a trial should be conducted in order to determine the rate required. Is it OK to use the ‘freeze thaw’ test to check tartrate stability?

The most viscous CMCs have an effect on mouth-feel, but this is not necessarily undesirable 6. The sensory impact is minimal or nil if the CMC is of high quality3. In a recent study2, one winemaker tasted the trial wines and did not detect any differences between the control and CMC-treated wines. The sensory impacts of CMC are difficult to predict and it is recommended that CMCs be trialled before use4. It is also suggested to allow 2 – 7 days for the CMC to integrate fully into the wine before assessing for flavour impacts4.

Whilst it may be used as a rough and quick overnight guide of gross instability, the freeze thaw test is the least preferred method for testing cold stability due to its propensity to give false positive or false negative results. The AWRI recommends that cold stability be determined by storing a filtered 150 mL aliquot of wine at –4°C for three days, and then examining it for the presence of a crystalline deposit. This test is recommended based on the results of a study conducted at the AWRI of various cold stability methods. This study showed that the 3-day/–4°C test related well to the actual deposition of crystals in wine over time5.

Any queries on the use of CMCs can be directed to the AWRI’s Winemaking Services Team on 08 8313 6600 or by email: winemakingservices@awri.com. au.

Will CMC work for calcium tartrate?

4. Wilkes. E.; Tran, T.; Scrimgeour, N. (2013) CMCs, busting the myths! (and adding some new ones). Proceedings of a seminar organised by the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology, Adelaide 2012, SA: In Press. Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology.

Suppliers of CMC do not generally recommend CMCs for wines with potential calcium tartrate instabilities. Due to the different surface charge of calcium tartrate crystals compared to potassium bi-tartrate crystals, the effectiveness of the interaction with CMCs is altered4. Therefore, winemakers should not rely on CMC to stabilise a wine with respect to calcium tartrate instability. Will CMC work for red wines?

CMC is not recommended for red wines as it has been found to be inefficient as a crystallisation inhibitor in red wine6 and has been found to cause the precipitation of colour2,3,6. CMC might be effective in www.winebiz.com.au

References 1. O’Brien, K. (1986) Carboxymethylcellulose and inhibition of tartrate crystallisation. Australian & New Zealand Wine Industry Journal. 1(2) Australian Industrial Publishers: Adelaide, SA: 43, 45. 2. Marsh, R.; Mills, S. (2012) Assessment of CMCinduced tartrate stability over an extended period. Wine & Viticulture Journal; 27(6): 48–51. 3. Bowyer, P.; Moine, V.; Gouty, C.; Marsh, R.; Battaglene, T. (2010) CMC: a new potassium bitartrate stabilisation tool. Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker (558): 65–68.

5. Leske, P.A.; Bruer, N.G.C.; Coulter, A.D. Potassium tartrate—how stable is stable? Stockley, C.S.; Sas, A.N.; Johnstone, R.S.; Lee, T.H. (eds.) Proceedings of the ninth Australian wine industry technical conference; 16–19 July 1995; Adelaide, SA. Adelaide, SA: Winetitles; 1996: 39–45. 6. Greeff, A. E.; Robillard, B.; du Toit, W. J. (2012) Shortand long-term efficiency of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) to prevent crystal formation in South African wine. Food Additives and Contaminants: Part A. 29(9): 1374–1385. 7. Marsh, R.; Mills, S. (2013) Assessment of CMCinduced tartrate stability over 12 months. Wine & Viticulture Journal; 28(4): 36–37. November 2013 – Issue 598

Lots of Latin makes for maximum aroma revelation in white wines Researchers Maria Angelica Ganga, Pedro Carriles, Céline Raynal, José Maria Heras, Anne Ortiz-Julien and Ann Dumont have unlocked some exciting outcomes by teaming Metschnikowia Pulcherrima and Saccharomyces Cerevisiae.

At a glance: • Non-Saccharomyces yeasts were considered harmful to wine’s sensory characteristics but in recent years it has become clear utilising these yeasts under controlled conditions may provide more complex sensory characteristics, improving the quality of the final product. • One of the factors that most influence the aroma characteristic of a given grape varietal is the ripening stage. Both free and bound compounds accumulate in grapes during this period. • The use of non-Saccharomycesyeasts in active dry form makes them more efficient and risk-free.

IN WINE PRODUCTION, yeasts are responsible for transforming the sugar present in grape must into ethanol, carbon dioxide and hundreds of secondary products that collectively contribute to the various qualities of the product (Fleet 2003). These microorganisms can therefore have a positive or negative effect on the sensory qualities of the wine. Initially, the must is dominated by non-Saccharomyces yeasts because the concentration of Saccharomyces yeasts is low, but the Saccharomyces yeasts gradually take over during alcoholic fermentation (AF) (Pretorius 2000). Although non-Saccharomyces yeasts were long considered harmful to the sensory characteristics of wine, in recent years it has become clear utilising these yeasts under controlled conditions may provide more complex sensory characteristics, thus improving the quality of the final product (Ciani and Ferraro 1998, and Garcia et al. 2002). For some years, the research group at the LAMAP at the Universidad de Santiago de Chile, in collaboration with Lallemand, has been working on defining the potential of non-Saccharomyces yeasts for utilisation in winemaking by studying the enzymes (xylanases, cellulases and glycosylases, etc.) they secrete into the medium (Ganga and Martinez 2004). They determined a strain of Metschnikowia pulcherrima (L1781, also known as Flavia™ MP346), isolated from the Maule region of Chile, naturally secretes an enzyme with arabinofuranosidase activity into the culture medium which can be interesting for winemaking, especially for terpenic grapes.

responsible for the characteristic fruity aroma (Vilanova and Sieiro 2006). A large portion of the terpenes are found bound to sugars, preventing them from forming part of the aroma of the product (Gunata et al. 1988). These glycosylated terpenes can be transformed into their free form by the hydrolytic action of glycoside enzymes (Gunata et al. 1988) as shown in Figure 1. The most outstanding terpenes are linalool, geraniol, nerol, citronerol and terpineol (Marais 1983, and Gunata et al. 1985). Most of the glycosidic residues accompanying the aroma precursors are of the arabinose and glycoside types (Yanai and Sato 2000). Which is why enzymes with arabinofuranosidase and b-glucosidase activity are extremely important in the release of volatile aromatic compounds. As shown in Figure 1, the first enzyme catalyses the hydrolysis of the bond between arabinose and glucose, releasing the substrate for the action of the second enzyme, which is capable of hydrolyzing the bond between the glucose and the

WHY IS AN ENZYME WITH ARABINOFURANOSIDASE ACTIVITY OF INTEREST IN WINEMAKING? One of the factors most influencing the aroma characteristic of a given grape varietal is the ripening stage. Both free and bound compounds accumulate in grapes during this period (Gunata et al. 1985, and Sanchez et al. 2007). Many aromatic compounds are present in grapes, including alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, acids and terpenes (Aznar et al. 2001). However, terpenes are part of the main components November 2013 – Issue 598

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CH2 O

TERPENE O O

CH2OH

TERPENE O O

TERPENE

HO OH

α-L-Arabinofuranosidase

β-D-Glucosidase

Figure 1. Sequential action of hydrolytic enzymes on aromatic precursors (Günata et al. 1988) M. pulcherrima L1781 or Flavia™ MP346 yeast was characterised regarding its enzymatic activities. This nonSaccharomyces strain showed high activity for arabinofuranosidase.

terpene, the latter forming part of the aroma (Gunata et al. 1988). Its potential for use in winemaking to reveal varietal aromas was studied, in association with S. cerevisiae. For the study, we used M. pulcherrima Flavia™ MP346 in the active dry form produced by Lallemand.

QUANTIFICATION OF α-ARABINOFURANOSIDASE ACTIVITY OF FLAVIA™ MP346 Tests on the -arabinofuranosidase activity were carried out with the active dry yeast Flavia™ MP346 and the control isolate M. pulcherrima MP 346 (LAMAP-USACH strain collection L1781) in accordance with the protocol described by Gunata et al. (1990). One unit (U) of enzyme activity was defined as the amount of enzyme that 11 μmol of p-nitrophenyl--L-arabinofuranoside (pNPA) consumed per minute. Table 1 shows the results obtained. One or more letters between the values in the same column indicates there are no statistically significant differences at a confidence level of 95 per cent. When contrasting the activities obtained from both forms of the yeast, one can see there are no statistically significant

differences between the activity of the dry isolate and the original microorganisms. Therefore, the production of -arabinofuranosidase activity by dry M. pulcherrima was not affected by the drying process.

CHARACTERIZATION OF FLAVIA™ MP346 IN OENOLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH SEQUENTIAL INOCULATION To characterise the fermentative behaviour of Flavia™, the commercial active dry form of M. pulcherrima MP346 in oenological conditions, a series of fermentations were performed in synthetic must first and then validated in different white musts. The strategy chosen was a sequential inoculation to allow the full expression of the non-Saccharomyces species from the earliest stage of the fermentation, especially its enzymatic activities, followed by S. cerevisiae whose role was to secure the fermentation. Flavia™ MP346 was first inoculated into the must at 25 g/hL (in active dry form) and then 48 hours later the S. cerevisiae was inoculated into the must at 25 g/hL. The fermentation kinetics are shown in Figure 2 and compare the fermentation rate of the single inoculation of the S. cerevisiae with the sequential inoculation of M. pulcherrima at the beginning followed by the S. cerevisiae 48 hours later. The kinetic profiles are different with a lower maximum speed of fermentation for the sequential inoculation compared to S. cerevisiae alone, and a delayed onset of fermentation due to the lower fermentative activity of the M. pulcherrima. However, the fermentation lengths are quite similar and both fermentations are dry. Figure 3 represents the population for both fermentations (sequential and single) of the two species in the case of sequential inoculation. It is interesting to note the good multiplication of M. pulcherrima during the two first days of AF. Once the medium is inoculated with S. cerevisiae, we observed one day of cohabitation for both species before a drastic die-off of the M. pulcherrima, allowing the complete colonisation of the medium by S. cerevisiae. The distribution of the viable population during AF is presented in Figure 4. In a trial done with Flavia™ MP346 and Lalvin QA23R in Table 1. Determination of α-L-arabinofuranosidase activity. Metschnikowia pulcherrima

Specific activity [U/mg]

Dry (Lallemand)

0.22a

Control yeast (LAMAP-USACH strain collection)

0.23a

dCO2/dt (g/L.h-1)

One or more letters between the values in the same column indicates there are no statistically significant differences at a confidence level of 95 per cent.

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1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0

Flavia™ MP346 + 30 g/hL GoFerm Protect® + S. cerevisiae Lalvin QA23® YSEO, sequential at 48 h S. cerevisiae Lalvin QA23® YSEO

S. cerevisiae Lalvin QA23® YSEO inoculation T = 48 h 0

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Time (h) Figure 2. Fermentation kinetics of Flavia™ MP346 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae compared to S. cerevisiae alone in Sauvignon Blanc. www.winebiz.com.au

November 2013 – Issue 598

1.00E+08 1.00E+07

CFU/mL

1.00E+06

Flavia™ MP 346+GP (+QA23® YSEO) (Flavia™ MP 346+GP) +QA23® YSEO seq. 48 h)

S. cerevisiae QA23® YSEO inoculation T= 48 h 0

QA23® YSEO

100

150

200

250

Time (h) Figure 3. Populations of Flavia™ MP346 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae compared to S. cerevisiae alone in Sauvignon Blanc

100% 90%

Distribution (%)

80% 70%

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Lalvin QA23® YSEO

Metschnikowia pulcherrima Flavia™ MP346

60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Time (days)

mg/L

Figure 4. Distribution of viable populations during alcoholic fermentation, measured by flow cytometry.

1000

750

500

250

β-damascenone

Linalool

S. cerevisiae

Muscat of Alexandria must (2011), a concentration of 25 g/hL (approximately 1 x 107 cells/mL) of Flavia™ was inoculated into the must, followed 24 hours later by the inoculation with S. cerevisiae Lalvin QA23R (25 g/hL). The inoculation time of S.cerevisiae was adapted after further research in winery conditions. Therefore, inoculating S. cereviaie 24 hours after Flavia™ MP346, resulted in optimal performance. The finished wines were submitted to a tasting panel, where 80 per cent of the oenologists expressed greater preference for the wine produced with the sequential cultures. This wine was characterised by an intense aroma emphasising flowers, pineapple and mercapto-pentanone. To confirm the outcomes of the tasting panel, the wines were analysed by gas chromatography. This showed the concentration of free terpenes was greater in the sample obtained from the sequential yeast cultures compared to the control wine, highlighting a greater intake of s-damascenone, linalool and geraniol, which are responsible for the tobacco, lavender and rose notes, respectively (Jackson 1994) and are flavour exhausters, which reinforce the perception of fruit aromas (Figure 5). Studies have recently demonstrated the ability of the Metschnikowia yeast species to reveal some volatile thiols, particularly the 3MH compounds (Zott et al. 2011), which are responsible for the grapefruit and citrus notes in white wines. Flavia ™ MP346 was thus tested in different grape varieties known to contain high level of precursors (Sauvignon Blanc and Colombard). The positive impact of sequential inoculation with Flavia™ MP346 was indeed confirmed, with an increase of about 50

Geraniol Flavia™ + S. cerevisiae

Figure 5. Revealing terpene compounds and norisoprenoids with Flavia™ MP346 (2011 Muscat). 1600 1400

ηg/L

1400 1000 800 600 400 200 0

3-mercapto-hexanol 3MH Flavia™ + S. cerevisiae A

3-mercapto-hexanol acetate 3MHA Saccharomyces cerevisiae A

Figure 6. Revealing varietal thiols with Flavia™. Trial on 2011 Colombard. November 2013 – Issue 598

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winemaking per cent in certain cases of the 3-mercapto-hexanol (3MH) production (Figure 6). A tasting of a Sauvignon Blanc from Portugal carried out with a group of 20 experts (wine buyers, journalists, oenologists and Masters of Wine) showed the wines fermented with Flavia™ MP346 were rated higher in intensity, citrus and pleasant aromas (Figure 7). In the flavour analysis (Figure 8), the wines were rated with higher mouth quality and aromatic intensity, as well as length, mouth-feel, sucrosity and a decreased perception of aggressiveness. The wine fermented with Flavia™ MP346 was preferred over both other wines (Figure 9).

CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the potential of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in winemaking. Although it is known the presence of these yeasts at the start of alcoholic fermentation results in more complex aromas in the finished product, their use in the winery is difficult due to the lack of control.

Number of tasters

14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

Complex

Intensity

Yeast A

Citrus

Exotic Floral fruit Flavia™ MP346 and Lalvin QA23

Pleasant aromas Yeast B

Figure 7. Aroma analysis of a 2012 Sauvignon Blanc (Portugal) fermented with three different yeasts.

Number of tasters

12 10 8 6 4 2 0

Mouthfeel Yeast A

More sucrosity

Less aggressive

Longer/ persistent

Flavia™ MP346 and Lalvin QA23

Aromatic

Mouth quality

Yeast B

Figure 8. Flavour analysis of a 2012 Sauvignon Blanc (Portugal) fermented with three different yeasts.

Yeast A Yeast B

Flavia™ MP346 and Lalvin QA23

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Figure 9. Preference test for a 2012 Sauvignon Blanc (Portugal) fermented with three different yeasts.

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November 2013 – Issue 598

However, the utilisation of nonSaccharomyces yeasts in active dry form makes them more efficient and risk-free. The utilisation of Flavia™ MP346 in sequential fermentations produced wines more complex on the sensory level. This yeast would act first on the glycosylated terpenes naturally present in the grapes, and would be capable of releasing volatile thiols while it remains in the must. Both volatile compounds deliver fruity and complex aromas, a quality sought after by the most demanding consumers. Maria Angelica GANGA: Department of Science and Food Technology, Laboratory of Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology (LAMAP), Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Pedro Carriles Lallemand Chile, Av. Ricardo Lyon 400, Dept 68, Providencia, Santiago, Chile. Céline Raynal Lallemand France, 19, rue des Briquetiers, 31702 Blagnac, France. José Maria Heras Lallemand Spain C/ Zurbano, 71 Officina 6, 28010 Madrid, Spain. Anne Ortiz-Julien: Lallemand Spain C/ Zurbano, 71 Officina 6, 28010 Madrid, Spain. Ann Dumont: Lallemand, 1620, rue Prefontaine, Montreal, QC Canada H1W 2N8

References:

Aznar, M., R. Lopez, J. F. Cacho, and V. Ferreira. 2001. Identification and quantification of impact odorants of aged red wines from Rioja. GC-Olfactometry, quantitative GC-MS, and odor evaluation of HPLC fractions. J. Agric. Food Chem. 49:2924-2929.

Ciani, M., and L. Ferraro. 1998. Combined use of immobilized Candida stellata cells and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to improve the quality of wines. J. Appl. Microbiol. 85:247-254. Ciani, M., and G. Picciotti. 1995. The growth kinetics and fermentation behaviour of some nonSaccharomyces yeast associated with wine-making. Biotechnol. Lett. 17:1247-1250. Fleet, G. H. 2003. Yeast interactions and wine flavour. Int. J. Food Microbiol. 86(1-2):11-22. Ganga, M. A., and C. Martinez. 2004. Effect of wine yeast monoculture practice on the biodiversity of nonSaccharomyces yeasts. J. Appl. Microbiol. 96:76-83. Garcia, A., C. Carcel, L. Dulau, A. Samson, E. Aguera, and E. Agosin. 2002. Influence of a mixed culture with Debaryomyces vanriji and Saccharomcyes cerevisiae on the volatiles of a muscat wine. J. Food. Sc. 67:1138-1143. Garcia, V., H. Vasquez, F. Fonseca, P. Manzanares, F. Viana, C. Martinez, and M. A. Ganga. 2010. Effects of using mixed wine yeast cultures in the production of Chardonnay wines. Rev. Argen. Microbiol. 42:226229. Gunata, Z., C. Bayonove, R. Baumes, and R. Cordonnier. 1985. Aroma of grapes. I. Extraction and determination of free and glycosidically bound fraction of some white grape varieties. J. Chromatogr. 331:83-90. Gunata, Y. Z., S. Bitteur, J. M. Brillouet, C. L. Bayonove, and R. Cordonnier. 1988. Sequential enzymic (sic) hydrolysis of potentially aromatic glycosides from grape. Carbohydrate Research. 184:139-149. Gunata, Z., J. M. Brillouet, S. Voirin, R. Baumes, and R. Cordonnier. 1990. Purification and some properties of an -L-arabinofuranosidase from

Aspergillus niger. Action on grape monoterpenyl arabinofuranosylglucosides. J. Agric. Food Chem. 38:772-776. Jackson, R. 1994. Wine Science: Principles and Applications. Academic Press. USA. Marais, J. 1983. Terpenes in the aroma of grapes and wines: a review. South Afr. J. Enol. Viticul. 4:49-58. Pretorius, I. 2000. Tailoring wine yeast for the new millennium: novel approaches to the ancient art of winemaking. Yeast. 16:675-729. Sanchez, E., M. Diaz-Maroto, M. Gonzalez, A. Soriano-Perez, and M. Perez-Coello. 2007. Aroma profile of wines from Albillo and Muscat grape varieties at different stages of ripening. Food Control. 18(5):398-403. Vilanova, M., and C. Sieiro. 2006. Determination of free and bound terpene compounds in Albarino wine. J. Food Compos. Anal. 19:694-697. Yanai, T., and M. Sato. 2000. Purification and characterization of a novel -L-arabinofuranosidase from Pichia capsulata X91. Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry. 64:1181-1188. Zott, K., C. Thibon, M. Bely, A. Lonvaud-Funel, D. Dubourdieu, I. Masneuf-Pommerade. 2011. The grape must non-Saccharomyces microbial community: impact on volatile thiol release. Int. J. Food Microbiol. Dec 2; 151(2):210-5

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Alchemists turning science into wine Lethbridge Wines started out as a three-ring circus when a collection of some of Victoria’s sharpest intellects finally understood they still had a lot to learn. RAY NADESON HAD spent a decade researching and teaching neuroscience at Monash University. For eight of those years he published extensively in the area of pain research. Yet with all that knowledge neither he nor partner Maree Collis (a medicinal chemistry researcher) truly understood the true meaning of pain. Until they bought a winery. And it’s not as if they were the only spectacularly smart masochists in the village. The third partner in this venture has been Adrian Thomas, who is not your average doctor with a vineyard. In the mid 1990s he was working as a cardiovascular physician and undertaking a PhD in epidemiology looking at the role of vitamin E in the development of cardiovascular disease. During which time his personal preference for delaying the onset of such disease was to imbibe in Grand Cru Burgundies. His passion – and weakness – led him to join with Nadeson/Collis to establish Lethbridge Wines. But while the neuroscientist and the researcher battle on, Thomas is currently working in a senior role at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals in the US, from whence he makes regular flying visits to Lethbridge to lend his extremely wellhoned palate to many of the blending decisions. Now that’s a serious slice of grey matter calling the shots so you can imagine their collective surprise when they discovered they had not reinvented the wheel with their chosen site at Lethbridge.

PICKING A WINNER Because once this wine-quaffing triumvirate decided to get on the other side of the glass and set up a winery the challenge of finding the ‘site’ was all consuming. “We did approach it from a scientific perspective, which meant looking at the evidence (where was the type of wine we liked being produced), seeking to understand reasons, climate soil, winemaking and then extend that all to come up with something original (the discovery of our site),” Collis said. “Basically we were interested in cool climate viticulture, a site that

78 Grapegrower & Winemaker

At a glance: • A neuroscientist, medicinal chemistry researcher and cardiovascular specialist pooled their purses and not inconsiderable intelligence to create Lethbridge Wines in the cradle of Victoria’s phylloxera disaster. • Lethbridge has around 20ha of vines providing fruit for Lethbridge Wines, made up by a number of vineyards in different locations within the Geelong GI. • The vineyards all have a few common factors – they are naturally low yielding, producing no more than 2 tonnes per 0.4ha with yields closer to 1.2 tonnes being more normal. • Low vigour/low yield sites also make for much smaller canopies which also helps to lessen disease pressure.

was amenable to organic/biodynamic techniques and interesting geology,” she said. “The best vineyard sites in the world tend to have rocks, stones or gravel as a feature, so the site we ‘discovered’ at Lethbridge, between Geelong and Ballarat, ticked all our boxes. “And like most old farms there were several sheds overflowing with what looked like junk, including a very large, intriguing wooden trough in one shed.” That intrigue turned to astonishment when they quizzed the old farmer about what the trough might have been used for. “We were amazed when he told us how it had been used as a wine fermenter by his grandfather and there had been vines grown and wine made at the site more than 100 years ago. “It was just too much. The very site we chose to grow grapes had been selected as an appropriate vineyard site by Swiss settlers. “Which also sort of made us feel vindicated in our choice and excited to be a part of the resurgence of the Geelong region, which had been the www.winebiz.com.au

largest grapegrowing region in Victoria before phylloxera struck in the late 1870s.” And just to prove there were no hard feelings at being trumped, the timber from that old vat has now been incorporated into a tasting bench in the cellar door at Lethbridge Wines, circa the 21st century.

CHAOTIC NAISSANCE But if our boffins had picked a winner of a property they just as quickly began to realise they might have picked one battle they couldn’t research their way out of. They were juggling careers (to keep themselves financially afloat), juggling babies (four at last count) and juggling their lack of knowledge about their new business. “For the first few years it was just viticulture, viticulture, viticulture and we managed that by travelling down to the vineyard on weekends,” Collis said. “It was very hands on and a great change from the more cerebral work of research science we were engaged in every week,” she said. “Our first real vintage was not until 2000 and that meant a few days off work and some long, long days, staying in Lethbridge overnight, commuting to the city to work and then back to Lethbridge to plunge and monitor ferments etc. “In the early years the only thing we had to forgo was holidays. While our friends were off in Tuscany or scuba diving in the Maldives we were either literally thigh deep in wine vats or squashed into a caravan in Wagga Wagga doing CSU residential schools (with Nadeson, like any good scientist, eventually coming home with another degree, this time in winemaking).” Crunch time came in 2003 when Lethbridge Wines made about 1500 cases of wine and vintage was spread across six long weeks. Nadeson took long service leave to get through it all but it didn’t take rocket scientists to compute the next vintage was only 12 months away and the next long service leave a decade down the track. At the same time our intrepid vignerons realised to be successful it is not enough to just make great wine. You need to build a wine brand and so the ‘day jobs’ got the boot and they jumped into the winery boots and all. November 2013 – Issue 598

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE DROUGHT Since then it has been one hell of a rollercoaster ride. One year they picked less than a tonne of Pinot Noir from 2.9ha because of extreme drought. Drought which hit them with “huge water bills and hardly any fruit”. It was only good relationships with other growers which allowed them to produce any wine at all. But the highs have been heady stuff, including being finalists for Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year in 2009. “It was just after our 10th vintage and we were blown away,” Collis said. “Somehow it felt like all our hard work had been recognised although we are first to admit there is an element of luck and there are plenty of people working just as hard as us and making good wine.” Taking pause after 10 years as fulltime vignerons, Collis said they have never really thought about giving it up. Well seriously thought about it anyway. She said while science and academia are not that well paid, they sometimes consider financially it has not been the greatest decision they have taken. “However with the vineyard and winery we are in control of our destiny, we are lucky enough to experience the essence of each season,” she said. “The start of spring is marked by budburst, true summer hits at veraison, vintage begins in autumn and of course winter is characterised by days spent pruning. “We are in touch with nature; enjoy the science and creativity of winemaking and the intellectual challenge of constantly adapting to the seasons and to the very competitive and ever changing wine market.” They have not quite cut the umbilical cord as they are still subscribing to New

Scientist and enjoy staying in touch. But Collis said they are now fulltime winemakers. She said being a scientist is really about how you think: identify the problem, look at the evidence, form a hypothesis and experiment to test the hypothesis. “It is easy to see how that approach is really helpful when it comes to growing grapes and making wine. “Especially as we are often ‘on the edge’ with our traditional winemaking, we still know the risks and how to manage them.

JACK AND JILL – OF ALL TRADES “In terms of establishing the business I think this probably is where we have been more challenged. Profit has never been a real motivator, yet for a business to be successful and to endure, it is a necessity. “Unfortunately we are not big enough to ‘bring someone in’ with the skills we need for every task so we have had to learn a lot about things we knew nothing about, particularly on the financial side. “Luckily one thing research and academia teaches you is how to pick up new information quickly.” Today Lethbridge is starting to fulfill its destiny begun so long ago by those hardy Swiss pioneers and is not only selling in all states it is also exporting to the UK. Collis agreed there was a lot of good wine being produced at the moment, making the current market situation for small vineyards “very competitive”. But like so many rural producers, she said their biggest concern was the influence of the big chains, run by Australia’s supermarket duopoly. “The small independent retailer who usually shares a passion for wine and is excited about introducing their customers to new and exciting varieties is being squeezed out,” she said.

“Now the online retail market is very much fuelled by heavy discounting. It seems for people to click to buy they need a major incentive or discount. “The recent fall in the dollar is likely to be good for exports, and China looks an exciting opportunity with that market maturing. “Despite the fact only a tiny percentage of Chinese will be interested in, or even understand, what we are doing, that is still a lot of people. The Chinese desire prestige brands and the French have done the groundwork for us in terms of educating the Chinese palate. “We are optimistic about the future, while life expectancy stays where it is, life is still too short to bother drinking bad wine and we know there are a lot of people who would agree.”

VINES CENTRAL Lethbridge has around 20ha of vines providing fruit for Lethbridge Wines, made up by a number of vineyards in different locations within the Geelong GI. Lethbridge Wines has 7ha of its own and the balance is made up of vineyards it leases (and for which it is responsible for the viticulture) or vineyards from which it purchases fruit. Collis said they have concentrated on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and to a lesser extent on Shiraz, as the climate and soil combination lends itself to savoury, cool climate styles for these varieties. She said one of the things of which they are proud is the group of growers they November 2013 – Issue 598

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winemaking Extended lees contact is used for enhanced mouth feel, and all oaked wines are made using the best French oak barrels.

HEALTHY SOILS

Brains trust: Maree Collis and Ray Nadeson have found the formula for building a successful winery enterprise in the midst of an incredibly competitive industry.

work with and their desire to produce quality fruit at the yields we require and using methods of viticulture we require. “Our vineyards all have a few common factors – they are naturally low yielding, producing no more than 2tonnes per 0.4ha with yields closer to 1.2 tonnes being more normal,” Collis said. “The soils are not uniform, some are clay on limestone while others are black clay on basalt, yet they are all very hungry and low vigour,” she said. “This leads to more open canopies and lower disease pressure and allows us to farm bio-dynamically with less risk. All the vineyards are handpicked, some done by roped-in friends and family but the majority now by commercial teams working in our region. “Our annual crush is around 70 tonnes for Lethbridge but we also crush around 15 tonnes for our joint venture project with David Fesq and Josh Dunne at Between Five Bells. “We have spent a fair bit of time searching for what we believe are some great micro climate/soil combinations for growing interesting grapes. “With the use of biodynamics we think the individual sites are more likely to express what is unique to them in the fruit and therefore in the wine made from the fruit. “The use of conventional farming, especially the use of artificial fertilisers, can blur the unique nature of the particular vineyard character and thus blur the distinctiveness of the resultant wine.”

DEFINING FINE WINE At the same time Lethbridge Wines has never sought accreditation for organic or biodynamic status. The brains trust believe the organic viticultural methods they employ are

80 Grapegrower & Winemaker

only one tool in making wine and the end result should be judged for its quality, not as a product made using certain tools. But Collis admitted in saying that they are more comfortable growing fruit organically/biodynamically as it lowers their impact on the environment, is more sustainable and also gives them the type of fruit they want for their wine styles. She said farming without the standard arsenal of chemicals and fertilisers can be more difficult and more expensive, but to some extent having sites where disease pressure is lower due to lower rainfall and constant wind makes it more manageable. “Our low vigour/low yield sites also make for much smaller canopies which also helps to lessen disease pressure,” Collis added. “In 2011 Geelong had a wet, cool season and disease pressure was much higher than normal, but even in that year we found we were able to keep disease at bay using our regime, although we spent more than five times as long in the vineyard spraying (copper, sulfur, whey, orange peel oil) and shoot thinning,” she said. “Chemical fertilisers are a cheap source of nitrogen not available to the organic grower. “The biodynamic composting we employ fills this nitrogen requirement and also help with building overall soil health and microbial diversity.” Ever the boffins, Collis said by encouraging vigorous biological activity in the soil and eliminating the use of chemicals that can harm microorganisms, they were able to produce fruit of great flavour and character. She said their winemaking encompasses the full range of traditional techniques – with fermentations using indigenous yeast and employing pre- and post-fermentation maceration to produce the best tannin structure naturally. www.winebiz.com.au

“Basically we believe biodynamics works to produce healthy soils because it produces an environment conducive to microbial growth,” Collis said. “Efficient nutrient uptake by plants requires a complex symbiotic relationship with soil microbes. “And healthy soils make for healthy vines which will produce grapes that reflect the site (soil, microclimate etc) in which they are grown,” she said. “Without healthy soils, micronutrients in the soil are not necessarily available to the plant and need to be added as a chemical conconction in which case grapes reflect what is added, not what is there naturally. “We have just done a market analysis of our client base and the overall perception seems to be that what is most important to them is not the fact the wine is grown bio/organically but the way it tastes and that it is not some homogenous product. “This is very much how we would have hoped it would be. We don’t want to be known as a bio/organic winery; we want a reputation as a winery making interesting wines that have a sense of place. “We have found we have had to make little compensation or alteration to our winemaking except we need to buy fewer additives such tartaric acid for a winery of our size. We also don’t use added tannins or other exogenous wine additives. “We certainly could not sell our wines any cheaper, the yields and the time inputs in growing the fruit and making the wines the way we do is high. “Mietta Pinot Noir and Allegra Chardonnay are our signature wines and we think our vineyard resources for these wines are excellent. The wines make themselves, with no complicated winemaking and no additions, so the wine comes up showing the character of the vineyards, complemented with overtones of the vintage conditions.” Well you can take the scientist out of the lab, but you can’t take the lab out of the scientist. Collis and Nadeson still handle their everyday wine analysis such as pH, TA, Malic Acid tests and free/total sulfur. But valuing a second opinion, like all good researchers, other things are sent out of house to Vintessential. Contact: Maree Collis or Ray Nadeson. Phone: 61 3 5281 7279. Email: maree@ lethbridgewines.com. November 2013 – Issue 598

2013 Report

Dan Johnson, Managing Director

Planning for the future The Australian wine sector continues to show considerable resilience in the face of difficult trading conditions. However, industry bodies, including the AWRI, are not immune from these challenges. Despite this, real solutions have been offered to industry through technical outputs of very high standard and applicability. Active national consultation with industry has produced a research, development and extension plan that will deliver business-changing outcomes over the next five years. The Australian wine sector continues to show considerable resilience in the face of difficult trading conditions. However, industry bodies, including the AWRI, are not immune from these challenges, and the past year will be remembered as one of transition and restructuring. The highly successful 7-year investment agreement between GWRDC and the AWRI, and the associated AWRI 7-year Research, Development and Extension plan, concluded this year. Projects were finalised and findings summarised ahead of a transition to a new research and funding framework. Key outcomes from the first six years of the agreement were highlighted in the AWRI’s 2012 Annual Report, and highlights from this year are listed below and in the 2013 Annual Report. Technical outputs continued to be of a very high standard and offer real solutions for industry problems. However, this year there was a need to deliver these outputs with the prospect of a substantial decline in the quantum and security of funds available for research, development and extension. No stone was left unturned to find operational efficiencies and reduce costs to align with this new paradigm, and difficult decisions were made. Despite this, there remains a need for all sector participants to work together to provide a foundation for strategic research programs and to ensure that the available funds ‘hit the grassroots’ in the most efficient way. The attraction and retention of expert scientists, sourced from a small global pool, are critical to prevent further decline in research capacity and capability and to ensure the continuation of ‘game-changing’ research outputs essential for the sustainability of this industry. This year, a comprehensive consultation and review process was undertaken to prepare a 5-year Research, Development and Extension plan for the AWRI for the period 2013-2018. Input for the plan came from a comprehensive industry consultation and review process, which involved 36 workshops held across six states and the ACT. More than 200 industry personnel representing 135 stakeholders including peak body, state and regional-based associations, winemaking and grapegrowing organisations, provided input into the development of projects. As a result of this process, and substantial internal planning, 113 initial project ideas were refined to the final list of 50 projects under the thematic areas of environment and sustainability; consumers, customers and markets; improving products and processes; extension and adoption; and service capabilities and foundational data sets. Importantly, the projects respond to many of the priorities outlined in the GWRDC’s 5-year plan 2012-2017; are based on industry priorities; and integrate research, development and extension activities. All of the participants in that process are warmly thanked.

The 2013-2018 plan builds on the achievements of the AWRI’s 2006-2013 plan, but shifts the emphasis and direction of future RD&E to align with current industry priorities and feedback. Valued services such as the AWRI help-desk service and emergency response capabilities will be continued while new directions include an increased focus on: mouth-feel and texture; genomics technologies; the grape to wine interface; packaging and transport practices; new extension platforms; and cost saving options. This is industry’s plan for its future. Copies of the plan are available to all AWRI stakeholders and can be accessed, along with project status updates and contact details, from the AWRI website. The AWRI was again heavily involved in program planning, preparations and logistics for the 15th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference (Sydney, July 2013). This 15th conference marks 43 years of the existence of the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference and its important contribution to the development of the Australian grape and wine industry through information sharing and networking. Many staff members from the AWRI were also involved in the program development, preparations and logistics for the international scientific conference, WineHealth 2013 (Sydney, July 2013) and also Crush 2012, a two-day national symposium dedicated to grape and wine research held in Adelaide in November 2012.

Technical trends This year, the AWRI published its 1500th paper, a significant milestone for any research organisation and testament to a consistent contribution to the Australian wine sector’s innovation efforts over the past 58 years. Fittingly, the paper ‘Beyond bentonite’, was an AWRI report summarising recent progress in developing efficient, cost-effective alternatives to the use of bentonite, a fining agent used to prevent haze formation in white wine. The AWRI has worked for many years to understand the causes behind protein haze to find cost-effective solutions, and this past year saw substantial advances in both fundamental and practical understanding.

2013 Report The AWRI serviced 4,833 information requests, helpdesk and troubleshooting enquiries and problem investigations. The library distributed 2,466 requested papers and 1,453 requests for information were managed through the AWRI helpdesk and troubleshooting service (1,015 on winemaking; 338 on viticulture; and 100 on regulatory or health). A further 914 problem samples were analysed as part of 202 separate investigations on behalf of Australian producers. To put this into perspective, 19 requests for assistance were addressed on each working day of the year; this is roughly in line with previous years. More than 86,000 analyses were undertaken on more than 17,000 grape and wine samples by the AWRI Commercial Services laboratories; an all-time record. Key technical trends observed in the information and helpdesk enquiries included: • The volume of enquiries from each state was broadly in line, percentage wise, with state production figures. The nature of enquiries was very broad and with no key issues specific to a region.

will allow identification of differences in structure that might explain their differences in haze behaviour; this information has the potential to open the way to a targeted search for enzymes able to degrade thaumatin-like proteins at winemaking temperature. • To inform decision-making concerning the labelling of products containing potential allergens, the AWRI developed and validated a test for milk and egg residues in wine. This simple assay is now available for producers and can help to avoid the need for allergen labelling. • The AWRI Ferment Simulator was released and trialled by 26 major wine producers across four states. The tool can be used to track ferment trajectory and account for conditions such as temperature, yeast, wine type, nutrient levels, agitation regime and tank size. It can be used to test and evaluate alternative ferment management strategies, monitor refrigeration and electricity demand and predict problem ferment behaviour.

• A spike in the number of enquiries was experienced in October 2012 and March 2013; the October figure driven in part by an increasing number of Brettanomyces-related enquiries. The percentage of queries related to Brett has been trending upwards over the past few years, and is now at levels similar to that in early 2000s, suggesting that microbiological and sulfide-related queries are continuing to be a regular issue for many winemakers. Research will continue on new Brett management strategies. The spike in enquiries in March was driven by a large number of stuck fermentation enquiries that arose in a short space of time following the compressed vintage and the associated hot and dry conditions. • Hazes and deposits continued to represent the majority (37%) of all investigations. Many of the deposits were potassium hydrogen tartrate, although calcium tartrate was also observed often, typically as a result of high calcium concentrations. Instability problems are continually being addressed during the AWRI’s Roadshow workshops and via other AWRI communication media.

Technical highlights A full list of research highlights is provided in the annual report, but some of the most noteworthy include: • Wines produced by sequential inoculation with a non-Saccharomyces strain and a S. cerevisiae strain were ~1% v/v lower in ethanol concentration than wines produced by the same S. cerevisiae strain. Similarly, a selected S. cerevisiae mutant strain produced wine 1.5% v/v lower in ethanol than the parent strain; the flavour properties of mutant strain still need to be optimised. • An interspecific hybrid yeast between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces mikatae was developed. Hybrids produce wines with altered concentrations of volatile compounds known to contribute to wine flavour and aroma. Using these hybrids winemakers may be able to achieve complex wines while avoiding the risks associated with spontaneous fermentation. • High resolution 3D crystal structures of two haze forming thaumatin-like proteins at winemaking temperature were resolved and passed the Protein Data Bank validation. The availability of very high resolution structures for two isoforms of haze forming proteins

New partnerships The AWRI was able to leverage and optimise industry R&D investment by entering into a number of new partnerships with industry bodies, wine companies and research institutes throughout the year: • A partnership between the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, the National Wine Foundation and the AWRI was established, with an initial focus on alcohol and pricing and a review of the evidence concerning wine consumption and health. • An exclusive agreement between Wine Australia and the AWRI was established for the AWRI to undertake analytical tests required under the Wine Australia audit program. • An AWRI node was established in the Hunter Valley, with in-kind and financial support from local associations and local growers and wineries. The node services the Hunter Valley and other nearby regions and assists in the uptake of the latest information and technologies. • The ‘BAG alliance’ – a trilateral partnership between L’Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin (ISVV) in Bordeaux, Hochschule Geisenheim in Germany and the AWRI was cemented with the support of the respective regional governments. Collaborative research projects will be established in 2013/2014. • Partnerships with the Australian Government were entered into for the AWRI to extend to the Australian wine sector relevant outputs from carbon farming research projects undertaken across a range of sectors, and to continue the research effort into grape marc use as a feed additive in commercial settings.

2013 Report Other 2013 highlights Additional market and consumer understanding highlights include: Consumer experiences with closures. A Shiraz wine bottled under 15 different closures was characterised at the 24 month post-bottling time point by sensory descriptive analysis, and subsequently seven samples were tasted by >200 consumers in Sydney. Although the wine were quite similar in sensory properties, there was a significant difference in purchase intent following blind tasting, with the most oxidised wine having the lowest purchase intent score. The results, which are in line with previous studies, indicate that small sensory differences are important to consumer preference. A consumer rejection level for salt in wine. The amount of sodium chloride that affected consumer preference in white and red wine was found to be above 1.5 g/L, providing guidance for wine companies in setting specifications for grapes or wines with elevated sodium. An insight into Chinese consumer descriptive language was obtained. In a collaborative study with the University of South Australia, specific Chinese fruit and flavour terms were found to be associated with different wine styles, and knowledge was gained regarding which wines from highly diverse styles were most liked. Additional winemaking excellence highlights include: Sulfite tolerance in D. Bruxellensis. A clone of the sulfite efflux pump from D. bruxellensis AWRI 1499 (DbSSU1) has been expressed in a strain of S. cerevisiae lacking this pump. DbSSU1 was able to complement the S. cerevisiae defect, conferring sulfite tolerance. This is the first experiment of this type conducted using a D. bruxellensis gene, highlighting the value of genomic resources. New analytical method for oxidation-related off-flavour

The view over the horizon Recent reports from the Australian wine and other sectors have

compounds established. The compounds phenylacetaldehyde and methional were strongly related to oxidative flavour in wines.

highlighted the need to improve industry productivity and profitability.

Polysaccharides in white wine – the role of fermentation on

Many companies, most business models and all wine regions are affected

solids. The polysaccharide profiles of Chardonnay, Riesling and

by these findings.

Viognier wines made using different juice extraction and handling

Creating or renewing market demand is no doubt part of the answer, and substantial efforts are underway in that regard. But we should not forget that our sector’s productivity and profitability has long been underpinned by investment in R&D, collaboration and information sharing, and a culture of fast adoption of new research findings. The final reports prepared of the work undertaken at the AWRI in the last seven years provide many reasons to be proud of what the Investment Agreement between the GWRDC and the AWRI has achieved. It is inspirational to see the AWRI’s activities making a positive impact on the businesses of Australian grape and wine producers. The exciting news is that the opportunities for R&D to make or save money in a grapegrowing or winemaking enterprise are as significant as they have ever been. Advancement in scientific instrumentation makes it possible to conduct research that was unaffordable or unimaginable even 5 years ago. There is great scope to really open our minds as to what is possible.

methods demonstrated that significant differences can be created in both the total amount of polysaccharides and their size distribution. This provides insight into the relative contribution of yeast, grape pulp and skin to the total pool of polysaccharides. Importantly, fermentation on solids produced the largest increase in total polysaccharides compared to those made from free run juice in all three varieties. This average increase of 80% in total polysaccharides over the clarified free run control was caused by increases in the medium molecular weight fraction which have recently been identified as being responsible for reductions in perceived alcohol hotness. Predicting wine tannin concentration through grape analysis. To establish a grape extraction method that predicts tannin extractability and concentration in wine, 40 grape samples from five regions were sourced in collaboration with Accolade Wines. Comparison of a number of protocols demonstrated that extraction with model wine of gently crushed, whole fresh or frozen grapes

The AWRI’s new RD&E plan commenced on 1 July 2013 and, subject to

consistently gave much lower tannin results compared to the standard

funding levels, the AWRI aims to deliver all aspects of this industry plan

extraction protocol across all varieties. This means that grape tannin

over the next five years. It contains a number of very exciting initiatives

concentrations obtained from model wine extractions are in the same

that marry the capabilities of modern science with industry needs.

order of magnitude as wine tannin concentrations.

2013 Report

Microwave maceration leads to extraction of tannin and pigment. The efficient extraction of tannin and pigment can occur before fermentation using microwave maceration and short skin contact time, allowing the ferment to be performed off-skins. Application of the technique to Botrytis-affected musts resulted in reductions in mean laccase concentrations from 8.2 µg/mL to 0.9 µg/mL. Rapid analytical method for key winemaking parameters performs similarly to reference method. Over 1,500 juice samples were assessed using a combined rapid spectral analytical method for YAN, pH, TA and TSS during the 2013 vintage. In another trial, 4,300 red grape samples were analysed using the same technology, achieving a similar accuracy to the reference analytical method, representing a dramatic potential saving in analysis costs.

Additional extension and educational activities highlights include: Workshops delivered in ‘packaging’ and ‘difficult vintages’. The AWRI Roadshow workshop ‘A guide to trouble-free packaging for winemakers’ has been delivered across 29 of Australia’s wine regions to over 500 participants. The launch of the next workshop series on difficult vintages, in the Barossa and Clare Valleys, occurred in May. In all, 14 AWRI Seminar events were held during 2012/2013, to 301 participants. New information made available. Included six ‘AWRI Reports’ and six columns on ‘alternative varieties’ in the Wine and Viticulture Journal; 12 ‘Ask the AWRI’ columns in the Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker; abstracts of new technical literature in six issues of Technical Review; 16 eBulletins; and six issues of eNews issued through the year.

Non destructive analysis of wine in the bottle. Non-destructive in-bottle analysis was applied by wine producers to sort batches of sparkling and red wines, which had developed quality variability during packaging and storage.

Library continued to expand. The John Fornachon Memorial Library continued to build an extensive knowledge base, now comprising over 72,500 books, journals, journal articles, conference proceedings, etc. on grape and wine production.

Tannin and phenolic measurement moves into the cloud. The AWRI Tannin Portal has been improved and extended in the newly released WineCloudTM. This web-based tool allows grape and wine

Website goes mobile. A mobile version of the website was launched to improve access to information for users who access the website using mobile devices. Approximately 80,000 visitors accessed the AWRI website with a total of ~270,000 pageviews.

producers to upload, analyse and benchmark data in a secure online environment. Producers can use their own equipment to measure colour, phenolics and tannins in red grapes, ferments and wines. The tool can be used to monitor grape maturity, track active ferments and follow wines as they age, to achieve specific target profiles.

Winemaking and Agrochemical Apps available. An Agrochemical Search App and a Winemaking Calculator App were launched, with strong uptake and regular user sessions. Additional technical support highlights include: Winemaking queries. A large number of technical queries were managed on a range of winemaking topics. Some of the more frequently received queries were on topics including sulfur dioxide, bottling practices, taints and contaminations, ‘brett’ spoilage and general microbiological instabilities, assistance with analytical methods for wine analysis, regulation and export related issues. During the 2013 vintage, a large number of calls were also taken on stuck and sluggish fermentations which appeared to be related to the prolonged hot and dry conditions experienced during the vintage.

Additional viticultural/sustainability highlights include: Chardonnay clonal variation project progresses. The proposed sequencing strategy for a Chardonnay reference genome has been successful, and sequencing of all 14 Chardonnay clones, which are to be used in a comparative analysis against the more thoroughly sequenced reference genome, is also complete. The pepper compound rotundone varies widely across a vineyard. A project with Dr Rob Bramley and Mt Langi Ghiran showed a dramatic variation in the concentration of rotundone found across a single vineyard, with clear spatial zones of higher and lower rotundone within the block. Viticultural practices compared in new extension module. A Research to Practice training manual and workshop that compares viticulture under conventional, organic and biodynamic practices was prepared. This training module will enable land managers to critically evaluate their practices in light of the research findings about methods of vineyard management.

Investigations. A significant number of investigations were also carried out. A high proportion were categorised as haze and deposit related issues, with tartrate deposits being responsible in many cases. The number of helpdesk enquiries received was consistent with the previous two years. Readers are strongly encouraged to read the annual report in detail rather than relying on the brief details above for information. Other highlights from the year, and the full report, can be found on the AWRI website: www.awri.com.au and in the printed report.

Acknowledgements The Australian Wine Research Institute, a member of the Wine Innovation Cluster in Adelaide, is supported by Australian grapegrowers and winemakers through their investment body, the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC), with matching funds from the Australian Government. The contribution of collaborators, in Australia and from overseas, is gratefully acknowledged.

Tel (08) 8313 6600

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A great tradition looking for that next cutting edge The Angoves have built an iconic family business in the past 127 years – and kept ahead of the pack with a proactive approach to innovation and change. Five generations of this famous winemaking family have carved many notable industry achievements, always with the ability to implement positive widespread changes throughout the Australian wine industry. Filtration This month Blair Hanel* caught up with Tony Ingle, its chief winemaker at Renmark and operations general manager Jim Godden to discuss the “process change” implemented in 2009 when Angoves embarked on a huge cultural paradigm shift by installing a Della Toffola CFKN170 ceramic crossflow wine filter into its cellar environment. 1 You purchased the Della Toffola CFKN 170 crossflow filter in 2009 when the wine industry was evaluating the holistic concept of crossflow filtration – covering “perceived negative oenological impacts” such as the stripping of colour, flavours and also increasing temperature in wine. • Has Angoves noticed any changes in the past five years to the wines processed through this stream? • Please give us your thoughts on the above oenological impact/s on the wine. Tony Ingle: The Della Toffola Crossflow has been a revelation for us; we have completely changed how wine is moved through the winery and throughout the clarification process. After some initial hesitance by the cellar staff, the Della Toffola Crossflow was embraced and it is now seen as the only way to clarify our commercial wine. It is exceptionally easy to use and due to the intelligent Della Toffola system creates almost no retenate (waste). The winemaking team has fallen in love with the machine: • There is no stripping apparent of flavour or colour • There is no pick up of Dissolved Oxygen throughout the process. “We are using the crossflow to clean up delicate products as well - such as preservative free and organic wines in on pass with great results”

2 Within the crossflow filtration markets there are several different filtration media for specific filtration regimes to choose from – spiral wound, hollow fibre and ceramic. Della Toffola supplies the ceramic media within its machines – please explain the main driver for Angoves in adopting this type of technology. • Has the technology delivered what was promised? • What are the main advantages of using ceramics? Tony Ingle: The biggest advantage we saw from the outset was the idea the ceramic membranes used as the filter media within the Della Toffola machine have a longer working life than other technologies in the market place. We have seen how the membranes are extremely robust and the local service and back up we get from the Della Toffola engineers gives us great confidence in the system. 3 The whole crossflow filtration concept is still hard for the winemaking fraternity to understand – please give us an understanding of this “tangential flow mechanism” used within the Della Toffola machines to filter wine. • How does this differ from normal filtration practises? • What size of micron is your filter rated at?

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Grapegrower & Winemaker

winemaking

Fermentation Bentonite addition to whites

Cent/Rack Rack or spin off bento/lees

Cold stabilisation >500 NTU wine

<100 NTU wine

Earth filtration RVE filtration

• Has the outlet turbidity been consistent throughout operations? Tony Ingle: The main difference between crossflow and traditional pressure leaf filtration is that crossflow is tangential – meaning it is no longer depth filtration but relying on a continuous flow at a certain pressure to sweep the surface clean. The differential pressure between the outside of the machine allows permeate (clean wine) to exit while the retentate continuous downstream. Eventually, the retentate builds up and the flow is automatically stopped for a few seconds and back pulsed to clear the media to a separate area and then the filtration starts afresh again. Our Della Toffola crossflow is rated at 0.2 micron and the NTU comes out under our cut off 0.8. We always have filterability checks in place and have never found any problems. 4 Filtering in the wine industry has had a background with utilising pressure leaf technology combined with diatomaceous earth as the media. This type of filtration is widely used because of its fast processing techniques. How has the Angove Winery overcome this phenomenon? • What considerations need to be taken into account when evaluating the process stream for new technologies like this to be implemented? Jim Godden: In early 2009 Angove Family Winemakers started exploring the purchase of a new Crossflow filter for use at the Renmark Winery. Crossflow Filtration was identified as being able to provide our winemaking team the following benefits: • Brilliantly clear wines (turbidity under 2 ntu). • Bacterially stable wines. • Minimal heating during the process. • No loss of colour. • No loss of CO2 or SO2. • No oxidation. • Very minimal wine losses. • Substantial savings on traditional filtration costs. 5 Crossflow filtration has many positive pay-back scenarios within the winery environment, including OH&S, environmental issues, cost of consumables and energy savings. Please give us an insight to how Angoves has evaluated the system and what outcomes have been realised since 2009 with regards to: 1 OH&S 2 Environmental Impacts 3 Consumables 4 Energy Jim Godden: Filtration of wine at the Renmark facility was in the traditional practise by using earth and depth medias – requiring approximately 2-2.5 passes to get wine to a bottle

86 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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Earth filtration

Bottling

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Bottling This flow chart illustrates our currently convoluted and costly filtration practice compared to what maybe achieved with crossflow filtration. Earth filtration cannot guarantee effective filtration of wines >100 NTU and may be contaminated with RVF filtrate. Centrifuge filtration removes solids allowing effective earth filtration but still requires Cuno filtration. Crossflow filtration is capable of completing the whole filtration process in a single step from a cold stable tank >500 NTU to bottle ready condition at <1 NTU.

ready specification (see process flow chart). Hence, this required a significant level of inputs and crossflow filter technology was seen to have the ability to improve winery process and deliver ultimate savings to Angove Family Winemakers. An analysis was undertaken at our Renmark winery to identify the current costs of each filtration step concentrating on the following: • Wine losses. • Number of passes required to get to bottle ready. • Consumable usage (depth filters, earth, etc). • Labour. • Environmental impacts (water, cleaning chemicals). • Product quality. • OHS (reduction to exposure of diatomaceous earth). Angove Family Winemakers – Bottling Preparation Chart: 6 The Della Toffola CFKN range of crossflows has many benefits, including the adaptability to grow the filter media area inside the machine when processing requirement demands it. How did you decide on the current machine size and how has this feature of growing filter media to meet the demand worked? • What was the square metre of filter media ceramics when you purchased the CFKN170? • What parameters were used to justify the growth of the filter media to align with the wineries growth pattern over the last five years? Jim Godden: The different types of crossflow filtration media were investigated, these being ceramic and polymeric and the pros and cons were identified and assessed. The ceramic filtration media was the preferred option given the robust nature and the longer lifespan of the membranes. With the operational flexibility of the Della Toffola crossflows this allowed us to initially purchase the 170 square metre machine

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November 2013 – Issue 598

PROVEN. 95% reduction processing time* 83% reduction in power consumption* 23% reduction in wine losses* 21% reduction in labour requirements* *Roget, W. Benchmarking a continuous tartrate stabilisation system. Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker (585): p. 106; 2012.

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with a total of 100m2 filtration media within, meaning the other area was blanked off. This would allow us to explore this new technology in the winery while managing the capital spend. Nine months after the Della Toffola crossflow was purchased, installed and started operations the machine was assessed on its performance. What became clearly evident was the anticipated return on investment had been realised. Some of the savings were: • 33 per cent reduction in winery operations notes written. • 36 per cent decrease in winery transfers. • More than 50 per cent reduction in filtration costs (earth, filter media). Overall the project was considered a major success to the extent the extra 70m2 of ceramic filter media was ordered and installed within 12 months of the initial crossflow launch.

CONCLUSIONS

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Angove Family Winemakers has been at the forefront of technological advancement within the wine sector for many decades. Filtration has always been a topic of discussion amongst all departments and they now have solid solutions and answers to the many questions put at them. The Angove winemaking team has always worked hard to deliver outstanding quality, year in and year out, and is now looking to set up its small premium winery operations to handle small batches within the winery at Renmark. Contact: Blair Hanel. Phone: 0447 815 482. Email: blair@ hanelconsulting.com.au. *Blair Hanel has been a regular contributor to Grapegrower & Winemaker. He is now also working with Della Toffola.

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November 2013 – Issue 598

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3M launches local products into filtration market

GentleJet is tough on tartrates but gentle on toast

3M PURIFICATION HAS hit the market with two new filtration products. Launched at WineTech, the ZetaPlus MH Series and the Sanitary High Flow Housing are made for the Australian market. Continuing 3M’s filtration innovation, both products are the result of local initiatives from the Sydney-based 3M technical team and the ZetaPlus MH Series cartridges are produced at 3M’s Blacktown and Nowra plants in NSW. 3M Australasian senior product manager Brendan Rumbel said the key feature of the ZetaPlus MH Series is its dual-layer filtration media. Rumbel said each cartridge contains a coarser upstream media acting as a pre-filter to the tighter downstream media. He said this created three potential benefits: 1. The upstream media protects the downstream media extending the cartridge life. 2. When the wine quality varies it provides greater flexibility on the line. 3. It allows for two stages of filtration to be performed in a single housing. This is particularly useful in the case of ultra-premium wines where minimal filtration passes and reduced hold up volume are key criteria. “Three grades of cartridge are available, with the first a general-purpose 60/30 grade ideal for standard bottling lines. It also has the benefit of a small footprint, horizontal loading and a ‘twist lock’ cartridge which significantly reduces handling time compared to a similarly-rated ‘dome’ housing,” Rumbel said. Contact: Brendan Rumbel. Phone: 1300 367 362 or visit www.3mpurification.com.au.

It’s a delicate juggling act but Spray Nozzle Engineering (SNE) reckons with its Gamajet GentleJet it’s got things down pat. The company says the wine barrel cleaning machine obtains the optimal impact – but without damaging the barrel’s toast. Toast being the level of charring applied to a wine barrel during construction and those levels can affect the taste and aroma of the wine during its time in the barrel. Which is why it is essential any barrel cleaner is not so scouring as to throw out the toast with the cleaning water. If a barrel can be kept clean and still keep producing wine with a consistent flavor, then it’s a great investment as the barrel’s lifetime has just been extended. The low-pressure (60psi) GentleJet machine utilises Gamajet’s proven rotary impingement technology to gently scrub tartrates and other soils from the barrel. At the same time the low pressure minimises the cleaning fluid’s impact within the barrel, which minimises any impact on the toast. Contact: SNE. Phone: 1800 NOZZLE. Email: sales@spraynozzle. com.au.

All hit and no miss with TankJet 360 WHEN YOU’RE OPERATING a continuous schedule to maintain maximum efficiency, cleaning can’t be hit or miss. The high-impact, high-efficiency and fluid-driven TankJet 360 from Spraying Systems Co, is a competitively-priced tank cleaner which the manufacturer claims will remove the stickiest residues. SA sales engineer Alen Margeta said TankJet 360 delivered better cleaning results in a shorter cycle time, to return tanks to service more quickly. He said the stainless-steel nozzles rotate 360o in horizontal and vertical planes, crisscrossing the internal surfaces. “Fluid-driven so there are no motors it has a choice of dual or triple nozzle hub with its sleek design fitting into small openings." “A built-in strainer minimises clogging and prolongs operational life – it is high performance with a more consistent impact over the entire pressure range, to generate operational savings.” Contact: Spraying Systems Co. Phone: 61 3 8378 4100. Email: sales@spray.com.au www.spray.com.

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November 2013 – Issue 598

Don’t mess it up, mix it up instead Wine Business Monthly editor Curtis Phillips – a graduate of UC Davis, a winemaker since 1984 and agricultural consultant since 1979 – looks at the logistics of blending and the challenges size, and paying attention A L MOST EV ERY WINERY has its own “wine was pumped into the wrong tank” story. Pumps Such things happen & tanks during crush and people are tired. Sometimes the story is about wine pumped into a tank with an open racking door, or that was missing the door gaskets. More than once I’ve seen pump-overs where the irrigator was not placed on the same tank the pump was pulling from. Occasionally, wines are assembled into accidental blends. I think one wine company even turned such an accidental blend into a successful brand. An accidental blend can be a small matter if the mistake is caught before the wrong wine makes up too much of the total. Most of the time, a fraction of a per cent of any varietal won’t be noticed. However, pumping a red wine into a

white wine would appear to be an event from which there is no recovery.

At a glance:

THE CAB SAUV/CHARDONNAY BLEND

• When it comes to mixing tanks, most winemakers know what to do; they just tend to greatly underestimate the time needed to achieve their goal of a uniform blend. • Blending is where two different lots of wine are combined while mixing is the process of uniformly distributing the contents of a single tank so the resulting wine is the same no matter the depth or distance from the centre the sample is taken. • It is better to use a single tank for building and mixing a blend. If the blending tank is very much larger than the final blend, the wine should be pumped to more appropriatelysized tanks.

A long time ago in a winery at which I worked, someone (not me, fortunately) forgot to switch tanks as they filtered wines. As I recall, the first wine through the filter was a Chardonnay while the second was a Cabernet Sauvignon. The mistake was only caught when the cellar workers went to change tanks for the third wine to be filtered. This meant that the destination tank was roughly half Cabernet Sauvignon and half Chardonnay, and effectively a total loss. Fortunately, the winemaker didn’t panic (again, not me but I wish I was this clever) and had the sense to close valves and set up to pump out of the bottom valve of the tank holding the accidental

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winemaking

Big scale: Tanks at Napa Valley winery Artesa give winemaker Mark Beringen the technology to create the products he is planning. Photo: Scott Summers

blend. A sight-glass was put at both ends so the winemaker could see when the colour started to lighten in the wine. Cabernet Sauvignon was pumped out until the blend started to pale. At this point the ersatz Rosé was run to a vacant tank until the pink colour was gone. Certainly, it is pretty likely a little Cabernet remained in the Chardonnay and vice versa, but it was unnoticeable and certainly well within the 25 per cent tolerance allowed for a varietally labelled wine (both wines were from the same appellation). The really surprising thing about this whole affair was the total amount of wine lost to the ersatz Rosé was so small when one would have expected the tanks to have been more completely mixed. This was an extreme case, but I think it illustrates the point tanks don’t mix instantly. One has to make a conscious effort. This is important not only any time different wines are put together but also whenever any additions are made to the wine. It is also my belief wines will stratify during long-term tank storage unless they are occasionally mixed. Mostly, assuming any blends and/or additions were initially well-mixed, we’re concerned about the consumption of SO2 in, and the oxidation of, the top foot or so of the tank. I’ve heard arguments Brownian motion, concentration gradients and the

92 Grapegrower & Winemaker

convection-driven turnover caused by cooling the perimeter of a tank are all sufficient to keep the contents of a wine tank uniform, but this assertion does not correspond with my experience. The top layer of wine tends to oxidise, and blends are not consistent.

MIXING AND BLENDING Although they are frequently viewed as synonymous terms, I like to use the terms “mixing” and “blending” as referring to two different, but related, winemaking operations. Blending is the operation where two different lots of wine are combined. The wine lots can be different single-varietal wines (e.g. blending some Cabernet Franc into a Merlot), two already-blended wines (combining the Merlot-Cab Franc blend with a wine which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec to make a Meritage blend), at least two wine lots of the same varietal (e.g. combining several lots of Zinfandel), or even two wine lots of same varietal and vineyard (e.g. blending together several 1-tonne fermenter lots of Pinot Noir). For the purposes of this discussion, it is assumed the blend has already been decided. I am focusing on the production side aspects of getting those components mixed together uniformly. Mixing is the process of uniformly distributing the contents of a single tank www.winebiz.com.au

so the resulting solution (wine) is the same no matter the depth or distance from the centre the sample is taken.

JUST DOING THE MATH The following calculations assume the tank is being mixed by a pump, but the exact mode of mixing doesn’t matter. It is the volume of wine moved through the tank that matters. Big impellers or bubbles don’t mix a wine differently than a 2-inch pump does. Even assuming that a 1300 lpm (litres per minute) pump is moving at capacity it takes 33 minutes to move 44,000 litres and almost three hours to turn over a full 220,000-litres blending tank. The time needed multiplies as the pump speed decreases. If you’re running a 1300 lpm pump at half speed, you’re moving 650 litres, not 1300. Ten minutes and you’ve moved 6600 litres of wine. This is a fine start if you’re blending 6600 litres but completely inadequate if you are building a 220,000-litre blend. I think three times the total volume is the absolute minimum number of “turnovers” needed to mix any aqueous solution (such as wine). At three turnovers, one should have something like a 95 per cent confidence of producing a uniform blend. In addition, this “95 per cent mixed” can vary ±10 per cent depending on the turbulence generated by the internal structure of the tank. Ten turnovers is typical rule-of-thumb November 2013 – Issue 598

(borrowed from large-scale chemical processing) for achieving a uniform mixing of any single tank without any internal baffles (like oak tank staves). Therefore, at 1300 lpm, it takes more than a day (27 hours) to mix a 44,000litre tank and be confident the wine is uniformly mixed when the pump is turned off. That 220,000-litre blending tank? That would take six days to mix with a 1300 lpm pump. I get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about leaving valves open and a pump running on a blending tank for a solid week.

HOW TO MIX A TANK When it comes to mixing tanks, I think most winemakers know what to do; they just tend to greatly underestimate the time needed to achieve their goal of a uniform blend. The following is my list of tank mixing methods in descending order of popularity in the US wine industry.

Pumps Simple pumping, whether from tank to tank, from bottom valve to top door, or bottom valve to racking valve/arm, seems to be the most common method of mixing wine tanks.

Portable Tank Mixers Portable tank mixers (Guth or Kiesel are the brands I see most frequently) are adequate for the task of mixing a tank, but too often they are under-utilised. Like pumps, the length of time needed to mix a tank with a Guth or Kiesel is often underestimated by more than an order of magnitude. On occasion I hear winemakers voice concerns about the possibility of impeller cavitation from a portable tank-mixer “damaging” or “bruising” their wine. In truth, I think these concerns are completely overblown. I might be concerned about having that much weight hanging off a racking valve for a day or two while the cellar crew is driving forklifts a foot away, but any cavitation would be less damaging to a wine than incomplete mixing of a tank (and there’s a reason big Guth/ Kiesel mixers come with stands). However, if cavitation is a concern, look at one of the other tank mixing approaches, like pneumatage, builtin tank-mixers or mixing with lowor no-shear pumps, like diaphragm, peristaltic or progressing cavity pumps. The important thing is to get the tanks mixed.

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winemaking Nitrogen “Air-stone” Imagine a stainless-steel version of an aeration stone one might have in a fish tank. Scaled up to a size appropriate to a wine tank, attach it to a tank of nitrogen and you have a way of mixing a tank. As the gas rises through the vertical column of the tank, it pushes the wine up toward the top of the tank. Outside of the bubble column, wine is pulled down. Beyond mixing, one of the primary winery uses for a nitrogen air-stone is to “strip-out” H2S from a “skunky” wine. Certainly the motion of a gas such as nitrogen through a wine will carry other volatile compounds along with it. If the wine has been treated with copper sulfate in an effort to remove any H2S, then I would suggest the main benefit of following a CuSO4 addition with a stream of nitrogen is that the nitrogen is distributing the CuSO4 evenly throughout the tank so that it can react with the H2S.

Built-in Tank Mixers Built-in (or welded-in) mixers are much better at mixing simply due to the much larger impeller size and are well worth the investment (in my opinion). Because they don’t need to fit the impeller through the racking valve, a built-in mixer can operate at much lower rpms than a portable mixer. This can be touted as a selling point, but the real benefit is the big impeller moves more wine faster.

Pneumatage (Pulsair) Pneumatage is the term Pulsair® has coined to describe how its product mixes a fermentation. Although usually Grape ad 90hx185 24/9/13 11:16 AM considered as a cap management tool,

Fortunately, the winemaker didn’t panic and had the sense to close valves and set up to pump out of the bottom valve of the tank holding the accidental blend. Pneumatage (AKA Pulsair) is, in my opinion, one of the very best options for mixing really big tanks. Pneumatage is used for mixing asphalt and other heavy, viscous fluids where a pump or an impeller simply isn’t an option. For mixing wine, pneumatage is very similar to using an air-stone, except it uses really big bubbles rather than a stream of small ones. The principle is the same: bubbles displace wine, which is carried from the bottom to the top of the tank as the bubbles travel through the vertical column of the tank. They can be installed to any size tank, and portable versions are available for small tanks and fermenters. Up to now, I’ve only been concerned with getting the contents of a single tank homogenised. It has been my experience unless they work with really large volumes of wine most winemakers rely on Brownian motion and convection to mix their tanks. If the tanks are mixed at Page 1 all, it is as an adjunct to building a blend.

IN SUMMARY It is better to use a single tank for building and mixing a blend. If the blending tank is very much larger than the final blend, the wine should be pumped to more appropriatelysized tanks. Personally, I would much rather let my largest tank determine the size of my largest blend. Blending by-the-numbers (AKA blending to specifications) almost always results in significant batch-to-batch variation (this variation may be deemed as more acceptable than the extra time and manipulation from trying to homogenise a multi-tank blend, but that is quite a different thing from assuming one can build the same blend simply by following the same recipe). Mix all components before assembling components into blends. Using a manifold to pump into all tanks at the same time is probably the best approach. It’s important to build all of the blend, then mix the tanks individually, then mix the blending tanks together. This latter step is too often overlooked. Cross-blending evens out the batch variation differences. Unfortunately, the batch tanks need to be cross-blended as thoroughly as they need to be mixed. Ideally, this means crossblending the batch tanks at least 10 times. The time and wine losses this many wine movements would entail should make it obvious why blending in a single large tank is better than trying to get a uniform blend with several smaller tanks. Contact: Curtis Phillips, Wine Business Monthly. Email: cphillips@winebusiness. com.

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Waste not; want not, the golden rule in wineries

New range of pneumatic presses, New models crushers & a selection of grape equipment

SA-based Factor UTB has landed some major projects in the Australasian wine industry and its latest hi-tech solution in the heart of New Zealand’s famed Marlborough region has now landed it a major industry award. WINERY WASTEWATER TREATMENT is as big a challenge for wineries as it is for the design engineers brought in to solve the problem. Because without getting it right wastewater management is a major hurdle in winery expansion. It varies hugely in its nature, volume and load – on an hourly and daily basis. And is subject to high seasonal peaks because of the demands of different wine processing stages. But that hasn’t stopped South Australia’s Factor UTB from coming up with an Engineers Australia (SA) award-winning solution for Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) Matua Marlborough winery in New Zealand. Or delivering a string of successful solutions stretching back 12 years.

At a glance: • Factor UTB has designed and built 36 wastewater treatment plants using the same base technology in the past 15 years. • Treasury Wine Estates wanted to almost double Matua’s capacity to a 25,000 tonne crush this year – but with the potential to expand to 35,000 tonnes by 2015. • The wastewater load from the Matua winery during vintage is equal to that of the sewage flow from a town of 23,500 people. • The award-winning Matua project was a massive undertaking because it was installed and up and running in 22 weeks from go to whoa.

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winemaking Factor UTB’s director Rex Gibbs said his company has designed and built 36 wastewater treatment plants using the same base technology in the past 15 years. He said the Matua project was a massive undertaking because it was installed and up and running in 22 weeks from go to whoa. “TWE wanted to almost double Matua’s capacity to a 25,000 tonne crush this year – but with the potential to expand to 35,000 tonnes by 2015,” Gibbs said. “We had just finished our third wastewater plant for TWE when it asked Factor UTB to assess this major project,” he said. “The wastewater load from the Matua winery during vintage is equal to that of the sewage flow from a town of 23,500 people. “But the real challenge was fitting the treatment plant within the constraints of the winery site, in an area less than 1500m2.”

The real challenge was fitting the treatment plant within the constraints of the winery site, in an area less than 1500m2

load and a third removing the rest to achieve better than 95 per cent efficiency pollutant removal. This plant further develops an already successful process used at three other TWE wineries. Factor UTB’s intermittent operation, high-rate aeration places higher selective pressures on organisms than achievable in conventional and MBR wastewater treatment systems. Low cost is designed into compact construction. High levels of control allow multiple stage load responsive uncompromised treatment in a single vessel. The process treats the widely varying load and influent characteristics found in winery waste effectively.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT The existing disposal area was odorous and plant growth had collapsed so the council offered to lease a new 13ha irrigation area on the flood plain of the Wairau River. To match Factor UTB’s two into one, two-stage design based on a highly controlled Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) which would achieve the removal efficiency and load balancing capacity required. A two-stage intermittent activated sludge process was adopted with the first two reactors removing most of the

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November 2013 – Issue 598

It allows oxygen uptake rates to be measured and therefore fully automated matching of energy input to loads. Sludge production is measured allowing an automated production responsive management. Gibbs said the wastewater plant would deal with higher average pollutant loads when compared with Australian wineries because of the concentrated vintage period in the Marlborough region.

NEW CONTROL STRATEGY He said the calculated maximum loads were nearly double those based on information supplied by the client and which had been used to prepare the budget. “Factor UTB tested a new form of aeration based on its existing in-house technology at full scale in a new plant undergoing commissioning at Naracoorte in South Australia,” Gibbs added. “We also had to use a new and very different control strategy. The design and construct approach allowed the new solution to be delivered within the original budget, and on time,” he said. “It was less than 22 weeks from order for design, manufacturing, construction and commissioning until treatment of waste in automatic mode. “Sophisticated control and the use of mobile technology including smartphone and tablets also lets Factor UTB provide an engineer at the shoulder of the operator in New Zealand from our office in Adelaide.” Factor UTB and the wine industry first got together at Miranda Wines at Griffith in NSW where high trade waste fees and penalties due to the discharge of liquid waste to the local sewer system containing extremely high pollutant loads and suspended solids were holding back its expansion.

He said the system also provides for measurement and recording of all critical control parameters such as flow, dissolved oxygen and pH which allows the winery to check and compare the trade waste figures collected by council.” Contact: Rex Gibbs. Phone: 61 8 8271 6044. Email: rexgibbs@factorutb.com.au.

Looking for more stories on winery wastewater? Search our Grapegrower & Winemaker article archive at

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CLEAN PROCESS Biological action provides additional energy, removes nutrients and organic load concentrating minerals into the settled sludge releasing carbon dioxide and nitrogen to the atmosphere. Settling and clarification are carried out in the same reactor after treatment and the decanter automatically removes the cleaned effluent from the reactor by gravity. Gibbs said Factor UTB installed a real-time remote monitoring and control system allowing its process engineers to monitor and adjust the operation of the plant via a phone connection. This system proved more-than-useful when a large spill from the winery was directed into the plant and the plant could be run in an overload configuration until the spill was treated. November 2013 – Issue 598

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sales & marketing Australian off-premise: what influences their wine buying decision? This paper, by Dr Steve Goodman and Dr Cullen Habel from The University of Adelaide Business School, is the final in a research series funded by GWRDC to examine decision influencers along the wine supply chain. Previous papers have discussed the Chinese, US and Australian markets at the distributor level as well as wine buying on- and off-premise.

Keep in mind though; it doesn’t negate the importance of margin. Retail in any industry is a tough gig, the liquor industry no different, possibly more so with the pressure of the competitive ability of the big stores. The research approach has been covered in detail in previous papers, (Goodman 2012 – Australian Data; Goodman & Altschwager 2012 – China Data, Goodman & Habel 2013-US Distributors – contact author or visit the web address below for details) so a brief outline here only. If you’ve read previous papers skip this paragraph. An experimental design was used to ask those involved in the Australian off-premise trade the question: What influences your decision when buying in a new wine? The method used is called Best:Worse, where people are asked, across a series of tables, to nominate which one of the

98 Grapegrower & Winemaker

NATIONAL RESULTS Figure 1 shows the results at a national level. No surprises to see ‘margin’ as the number one, but important to keep in mind, especially when designing new wines, is the actual ‘price point’ where they sit. It is important to speak with retailers and find out individually what price points they have in demand in their stores, where there are gaps in the market and how you might meet them.

100

Nothing is more dangerous than having an unpopular price point wine. It is important to ensure your distributors (or winery staff?) ensure staff have tasted the wine – which is almost matched by consumer requests. We’ve had some great success with consumer mail outs letting them know where wines are – even giving them incentives to visit stores and ask for product. Known as ‘pull marketing’, where you concentrate on building consumer awareness and interest to draw back up the supply chain, rather than simply offloading to a distributor and expecting each person down the chain to sell.

MARKET SEGMENTATION When we begin the segmentation we see there are some differences in influencers in various states (Figure 2). We all know the states can be vastly different markets but this approach shows us where there are similarities and where there are differences you might exploit to your advantage. NSW and SA are much more influenced by ‘price point’ and ‘advertising support’ than the others and less by ‘margin’ (although in itself this was still highly important). Victoria was more influenced by ‘grape’ and ‘taste’ than others states;

AUS Off Premise Retailers Wine Attribute Importance

Relative Importance (%)

TOUGH GIG

available choices most influences their decision, and which one the least. There are a number of strengths to this – notably, the fact it is not a rating, it is a ‘best’ and ‘worst’, as such it is comparable across cultures, ages and genders – most is most and least is least, whereas scoring on a 1-7 some people’s 5 is someone else’s 7 (See Goodman 2009 and Cohen 2009 for a full description of the method). It gives you clear insights into the strength of the influencers, twice as much or three times as much, rather than a difference between 4.2 and 4.7 – something which carries little practical implication. It also means generating simple bar graphs generates outputs where differences (and hence possible opportunities) can be quickly identified. On the graphs if a column is twice the size of another, you can think of it as twice an influence.

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Ma Lik Re rgi et tai n( he lP 2) ric tas ep te o ( M int Cu an (1) sto ag me er/ s rr Ad t a eq ff) ve ue (14 rtis st/ ) ing en qu su pp iry ort (11 /co ) ntr ibu tor Or igi (3) n/R eg i on Pr Ta es sti (13 sw ng ) rite su p up po sa rt ( 5) nd fea tur es Gr (6) ap Me ev da ari ls ety an dA (10 wa ) rds wo n( 7) Br Wi an ne d( ry 12 sta ) ff v isi t Th (15 ed ) ist rib Vin u t tag or (9) e/a ge Po d int wi ne of sa (8) le ma ter ial (4)

OFF-PREMISE IS a beast to understand Bottling, in Australia – with the dominance of two labelling & retailers controlling the packaging lion’s share of the market. Too often, the offpremise market is dismissed as too hard to get into, to lock down or the more ‘businesslike’ reasons of ‘our wines don’t match the profile’ and ‘we don’t give them away’. The fact is, ‘margin’ is not the be all and end all. Sure as sure can be it is very important, but this research generated insights which provide cues for brands without large retail exposure to see how they might present to various off-premise customers with a different slant or emphasis so as to line up with their goals. Yes, margin in almost every segmentation was the Number 1 influencer. But different segmentation approaches showed how different businesses might be approached with different emphasis – the old sales and marketing notion of understanding who your customer is before you talk to them.

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November 2013 – Issue 598

Attribute Importance - AUS States

100

Relative Importance of Each Attribute

OFF PREMISE ATTRIBUTES 1 Margin 2 Lack of retail availability 3 Contribution to menu printing 4 Table ‘talker’/ On Table Promotion 5 Press write ups and reviews 6 Medals and Awards won 7 Vintage/aged wine 8 The distributor 9 Match to food on menu 10 Chef’s choice 11 Grape variety 12 Listing Fee/Rebate paid by distributor 13 Origin/Region 14 Brand 15 Tastes good (manager or sommelier likes)

clearly you’d want to think about a retail staff tasting program if you are looking to increase sell in (and through) in Victoria. NSW also showed much more influence by the ‘brand’ and ‘origin’ than other states – you need to find out which regions are sought after, and at what level, in NSW. No, you can’t change your region – but it is possibly a signal of the importance to improve the market position and perception of your region.

November 2013 – Issue 598

New South Wales (49) Victoria (24) South Australia (16) Queensland (12) WA (11) TAS (4) NT (1)

7 8 Attribute Number

MASS MARKETS Supermarkets/large chains, not to your surprise you say, are much more influenced by a large range of attributes. Figure 3 shows everything seems to matter more to supermarkets. They are not as one track in their influence as the fine wine stores, which lean strongly to ‘taste’.

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What this does show is the need to examine the breadth of your offering if you are trying to get ranged and then sell into large chains. Do you offer advertising support, what is it and how easy is it to use and understand – not just dollars, but campaign integration, high resolution images – even winery initiated promotion.

Grapegrower & Winemaker

sales & marketing

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS At risk of being a broken recording – ‘get to know your customers’. See what they are trying to achieve, see what is important to them, ask them what influences them and then look at your offering to see what points you might emphasise to increase the chance of retailers listening to you. We’ve seen too many wine businesses concentrate on getting a beautiful looking offering together which completely sees the world from their own viewpoint. You need to ensure, as in any communication, you have a clear line based on the other party being interested

AUS Attribute Importance - Outlet type

100 Relative Importance of Each Attribute

Do you keep a file and update the trade of reviews and medals you win? Are you pulling your consumers through the supply chain – having your efforts result in them actually verbally asking for you retail. This entails promotion and communication to actively move consumers to seek you out – no mean feat given the number of other wines they can choose from, but from our experience it is possible with a strategic, and goal-oriented, effort with all your supply chain partners.

Supermarket (4) / Large chain (13) Independent Liquor store/bottle shop (n=76) Fine Wine Store (n=51)

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

7 8 Attribute

in what you are saying – often driven by relevance and them seeing there is something in it for them. We’ve prepared a number of papers with results from this GWRDC funded research – all available at the URL given below. There is so much insight and so many signals in the research it is hard to take it all in – if you are interested in seeing what there may be in it for you – drop us a line and we’ll be happy to talk (and help).

Contact: Dr Steve Goodman. Email: steve. goodman@adelaide.edu.au. All the papers which comprise this three-year research project are available at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/wine2030/ research/fields/. Steve Goodman, senior lecturer in marketing at The University of Adelaide Business School, specialise in Wine Business Research. Cullen Habel, independent market research consultant and adjunct lecturer in marketing and market research at The University of Adelaide – www. cullenofadelaid.com.

Location, location, location, location, location, location Since 1989, Portavin has grown to become Australasia’s leading independent wine services supplier. Our six sites – now including Sydney – are close to market and transport hubs, saving time, money and the environment. Portavin - caring for your wine from tank to shelf.

Adelaide Auckland (08) 8447 7555 (09) 582 0090

Margaret River (08) 9755 0500

Melbourne (03) 9584 7344

Perth Sydney (08) 9437 1033 (02) 9722 9400

www.portavin.com.au portavin@portavin.com.au 100 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

November 2013 – Issue 598

™

sales & marketing label design

Quirky, creative

and uber-cool Dom Roberts is the director and founder of Mash – a design and branding agency which has grown and morphed into something he admits is ‘a little bit different’. Over the past decade Dom has designed and art-directed projects for both Australian and international clients. His award-winning work ranges from branding, wine packaging and publications through to campaign advertising, interior design and digital branding. Join us as Dom chats about his latest project with Linnaea Vineyards. What inspired you to work in design, and what aspect of label design do you enjoy the most or derive the most satisfaction from?

A melting pot of Salvador Dali, visits to the Louvre and Pompidou Centre as a youngster, street art as a teenager and the acquired taste of typography. These were the main ingredients for inspiration that led to a life of design. I derive the most satisfaction from the first stages of idea development and then getting stuck into the creation of the piece itself. What was the inspiration or key branding message behind this particular wine label?

Linnaea is very much the brain child of co-founders Daniel and Michelle. It’s a relatively small brand – they are the winemakers, the finance department and the sales staff. Linnaea is a reflection of Daniel and Michelle therefore branding and packaging needed to reflect this. They both have a history in medical anthropology and plant biochemistry so the idea was to create a surreal modern-day interpretation of a Rhizotomi – an ancient character with knowledge of plant-life, nature and the universe – just like the guys at Linnaea. What are the technical specs used in the production of the label, i.e. printing technique, process and colours?

A nice high quality uncoated paper stock printed in full colour, a slight rounding to the label shape and that’s it. This label is all about the imagery, so we didn’t feel it needed much in the way of printing embellishments. What are the most important labelling concepts to impact on wine sales and marketing success?

This really depends on whether the brand is a large established one or a smaller, more artisan producer. Obviously the former needs quick brand recognition and something which appeals to the target

102 Grapegrower & Winemaker

market. However, big brands have to be careful not to rest on their laurels as their packaging is at risk of becoming out-dated if they don’t keep up with packaging trends. Smaller producers in particular need their packaging to stand out from vast sea of competition. A lot of the time advertising budgets are limited or nonexistent so the packaging is left to do a lot of work for the brand to be noticed. They need to grab the consumer’s attention through being unique, extremely beautiful and/or loud and in-your-face. Looking the same as others is a recipe for disaster if you are a smaller producer without a built up reputation in the market place.

Europe is more of a mixed bag, but Spain is definitely more excepting of innovative packaging. France and Italy have its famous wine history to leverage off and this is definitely ingrained in its market place. How can label designers overcome the challenge of helping a wine bottle stand out as the market becomes increasingly congested?

Study the market and the competition, find out what the trends are and avoid them. It’s about coming up with something which hasn’t been done before but still appeals to the target market. Easier said than done.

Have you seen many changes in label designs over the past decade and what labelling trends do you see emerging in the future?

Definitely. Ten years ago it was a lot easier to stand out from the crowd. We were amongst the first to design labels and packaging which stepped away from the expected wine packaging – illustrative labels, handdone type and conceptual thinking outside the expected sketch of a vineyard estate. This trend has been picked up by more and more wine brands so it’s a bigger challenge to create a unique label. As for what trends will emerge in the future, that’s the million dollar question. Natural style wines are becoming more prevalent and I am also seeing countries like China catching up with the western world in terms of their knowledge of wine and their acceptance of less conservative packaging. To what extent do countries respond differently to labels and/or wine marketing images?

China responds well to a more traditional label but I feel this will change soon, especially in cities such as Shanghai. The Australian, UK and the US markets seem to share similar aesthetics and are more open to what’s new and different. I think www.winebiz.com.au

November 2013 – Issue 598

business & technology Viniquip puts some sparkle into Sirromet bottling system Queensland-based Sirromet Wines has put a lot of time and research into its plan to introduce a sparkling wine product and one of the keys to its future has been a state-of-the-art bottling line

At a glance: • The components of the line are two main machines (bottling and labelling) which take care of all the requirements to produce premium products in 250ml to 750ml configurations. • Sirromet incorporated traditional method sparkling wine into the line and still use the rest of the facilities to finish off premium traditional sparkling products with efficiency and little fuss. • The complete line (excluding the preparation work for services etc. conducted in advance by Sirromet and its team) was installed, commissioned and tested within five days.

AFTER YEARS OF planning, preparation, research and discussions, Queensland’s Sirromet Wines signed off on plans to launch a major upgrade for production of its sparkling wines. And awarded Viniquip International the contract to design and supply the new line. Viniquip’s Rick Penney said the main machinery brand chosen for the project was the Italian-made GAI SpA. Penney said the components of the line are two main machines (bottling and labelling) which take care of all the requirements to produce

Carbonation station: Technica’s compact and cost-effective Carbofresh De Luxe system has been wall mounted as part of the production line.

premium products in 250ml to 750ml configurations. He said the bottling mono-block is a counter-pressure filler (GAI Model 1305A-ISO) which includes a two-stage rinser, counter-pressure filler with preevacuation feature and a capping turret capable of handling crown seals as well as two different sizes of screw caps. “All controls of the bottling machine are fully automated and a large Windowsbased mini touchscreen PC (with remote assistance feature) allows operators to visualise all processes while the machine

is operating,” Penney said. “The saved bottle formats on the programmable logic controller (PLC) also allow for quick changeover from one size to another,” he said. “Even the clean-in-place (CIP) procedure is automated, allowing the operator to select the intensity of the wash-down cycles – from basic rinsing to full wash down with chemicals. “The existing disgorging equipment was introduced into the bottling line for the application of corks and musselets. “This meant Sirromet was also able to

Convert your surplus stock into cash • We can quickly move large quantities of packaged wine to the domestic market. • We can sell your excess stock quietly without damaging your brand. • We are not a broker - we will purchase the wine directly from you. For all enquiries please contact Philip Heyman P 1300 667 602 F 03 9415 9057 M 0418 555 655 E philip@destinywines.com.au

November 2013 – Issue 598

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business & technology incorporate traditional-method sparkling wine into the line and utilise the rest of the facilities to finish off their premium traditional sparkling products with efficiency and little fuss.” The GAI 9316CH machine is responsible for finishing off the bottles after filling and capping. Penney said this complete block packs a lot of features within “a very small compact space”. First, he said, bottles are washed and then dried to ensure a pristine product is presented for capsuling and labelling. “The dryer features the anticondensation system which super-heats the surface of the glass ensuring a dry and condensation-free surface for the label application,” Penney added. “Sparkling wine aluminium capsules are dispensed automatically onto the bottles prior to entering the pleating station,” he said. “Before pleating the caps are orientated to ensure any printing on them is neatly displayed between the folds on the caps. “The caps are printed with an invisible ultraviolet spot and a special UV reading sensor on the GAI machine ultimately detects this spot and stops the bottle rotation with accuracy. “The pre-pleating and pleating heads descend on the bottles providing a neat finish to the aluminium caps before labelling.” The labelling function on this machine is fitted with three label stations (front, back and neck label). The selection of stored (fully programmable and adjustable) labelling programs is displayed on the multi-coloured touch screen panel, which controls all the functions on the machine.

Define Wine Marketing & Communications

media relations web development social media branding direct marketing T +61 2 6365 8141 M +61 414 736 342 E team@definewine.com.au W www.definewine.com.au

Five-day fit out: The Italian made GAI SpA system recommended by Viniquip was planned, imported and then installed in just five days.

Within the label application station, another special UV reading sensor once again picks up the location of the printing on the capsule and ensures all labels are applied perfectly centred on the bottle. The complete functions for washing, drying, capsuling and labelling are completed within the single GAI 9361CH machine – with the machine length coming in at under 3m! All conveying systems were prepared in advance by Dogliotti in Italy and this allowed the Viniquip team to assemble the complete line in less than two days. “Viniquip was asked to also provide a reliable and cost-effective carbonator for the system and we recommended the Carbofresh De Luxe by Technica for this task,” Penney said. “The Carbofresh unit is extremely compact and wall mounted and features static mixers after the injection module to ensure CO2 is properly mixed,” he said. “The system is completed by the inclusion of a flow meter, lobe pump and balance pressure tank to ensure a steady

flow of product through the injector. Carbonation levels are easily adjustable.” The complete line (excluding the preparation work for services etc. conducted in advance by Sirromet and its team) was installed, commissioned and tested within five days. “GAI sent a technician over to ensure all machines performed to specification and ultimately Sirromet’s satisfaction,” he said. “Viniquip provided service and advice in preparation for the project and the eventual design of the whole line was provided by Viniquip and we also ensured delivery from the suppliers in Italy and Germany to the final destination at Mt. Cotton happened seamlessly. “Sirromet chief winemaker Adam Chapman and production manager Mark Barnsdale were also closely involved during the commissioning and installation phases of the project and are more than satisfied with the final outcome.” Contact: www.viniquip.com.

Our core services include:

• National logistics service • Warehousing, including pick/pack, inventory management, container destuff and kitting • Temperature controlled storage environments in Victoria and Queensland • Metropolitan & Regional chain and on premise/retail delivery • RF based warehouse management software

www.bamwine.com.au 104 Grapegrower & Winemaker

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November 2013 – Issue 598

Don’t blow your business card to the world Nina Chalmers – the face behind successful Adelaide-based Graphic Language Design (GLD) – warns getting a website setup is so important to every winery it is a job which must be right from the word go. YOUR WEBSITE IS your business card to the I.T & world. And your aim is to make it appealing and website easy for people to choose design you first, and then hold their attention. The average time spent on a web page is less than a minute. Many users leave after just 10 seconds, so you have to make time count in order to get the people you want to buy into your business. You need to evaluate the purpose of your site. Do you want to generate sales leads, or increase awareness about your brand, or even a cause? By mapping this out physically, you’ll begin to establish your site map, which will form the framework of your site. This really needs to be thought through so that you can brief your web designer on your specific requirements. When Marc Dobson and Larry Jacobs

from Hahndorf Hill Winery (www. hahndorfhillwinery.com.au) approached GLD to design their new website, they had a very clear site map established. This made accurate quoting easy and the design of the website flowed very smoothly once we’d work-shopped their vision with them. They had also given careful thought to their pool of keywords peppered throughout their website text, which they knew was crucial for search engine optimisation (SEO), and this also formed the framework for their site map.

SIX STEPS TO AN EFFECTIVE WEBSITE: 1 Keep it simple and relevant: The text on your website should consist of concise, easily understood, full and grammatically correct sentences.

It should contain your searchable keywords, throughout your site. Ensure your content provides appealing, interesting information to your target market. Keep word content fresh to maintain a healthy SEO. A blog is a wonderful way to keep fresh content flowing to your site. The more regularly you post content (containing your keywords in a way that makes grammatical sense), the better. Don’t copy and paste text from someone else’s site and pass it off as your own. Firstly, it’s plagiarism and search engines, particularly Google, do not approve and it can adversely affect your SEO. In addition, don’t repeat your own content word for word on Facebook and then LinkedIn and on your website, for example. It has the same adverse effect. Effective website content is a constant work in progress.

2014 AGL Wine Excellence Scholarship. AGL Energy Limited wants to support and recognise our winemakers. The 2014 AGL Wine Excellence Scholarship is an opportunity for NSW wine makers to be rewarded for your skills.

The Challenge. AGL owns over 100 acres of vines in the Hunter Valley. Grapes from these vines will be supplied to the selected entrants and the produced wines will be entered into four national wine shows. Points will be awarded for each trophy or medal a wine wins. The winemaker with the most points at the completion wins the Scholarship.

The Scholarship. AGL will provide the winner with a funded Scholarship to travel to Europe or America to enrich and strengthen their viticulture and oenological knowledge. Please contact Alison Crocker, Community Relations Manager, for the 2014 AGL Wine Excellence Scholarship terms and conditions. email: acrocker@agl.com.au t: 02 6572 2753

November 2013 – Issue 598

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business & technology 2 Keep it clean White space allows users to find what they are looking for, so give images and text room to breathe. Also keep your palette of colours. Over stimulating the user causes confusion and you’ll lose them.

3 A picture paints a thousand words With any layout, be it magazine or online, the first thing that grabs the attention of the user is the largest picture on the page. Not the text. If the picture is a person looking out at the viewer, it will hold their attention for longer, so choose carefully and have an hierarchy of picture sizes. After the picture, they will look at the caption, then main headlines, and will only then read your text, if they are still interested.

4 Take ownership of your website and content Open source content management systems (CMS) such as Wordpress or Drupal are great. They allow you to easily access your own content and edit it when you need to. Ready-made templates are cost effective options for an entry-level site. If you have the budget, it is also possible to have a website custom designed and developed with a CMS built specifically for your requirements, which you can edit. This is what was done for the HHW team and how we at GLD create websites for most of our clients. Be wary of giving your developer unilateral control over your site. If your relationship sours, you could be left without your file transfer protocol (FTP) details and you will not be able to edit your website without starting from scratch. A website database is housed on an FTP server. To access this and make edits you need the username and password. Also, avoid

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proprietary systems which lock you in and require you to pay ongoing royalty fees.

5 Social media Facebook is still one of the best known social media tools and it works for some, but not for all. Pinterest is a wonderful visual resource to inspire users (particularly female) to visit your site. What many people don’t know is that adding Google + is a great way to improve your Google SEO ranking.

6 Understand the difference between design and development: There’s a common misconception these interchangeable. Good design is based on the same basic theory of layout from modern magazines to paintings by the Old Masters, which requires specialised training. Good design gives the consumer a sense of excitement rather than confusion when they look at the layouts. The developer writes the html code which makes your website come to life. This is a specialised skill, and requires specific training. It is also important your developer has an eye for detail and can work to a brief. Ideally, your designer and developer should work together for the best outcome and meeting your brief and deadline within budget. It is rare to find one person who can do both elements exceptionally well, so do your homework before hiring someone who claims they can. Be wary. Website design and development can be really cheap, and on the other extreme, exorbitantly expensive. Get a few quotes and remember if it seems like a bargain, you’ll invariably get what you pay for. This however, is sadly not always true of the outrageously expensive website creators. Contact: Nina Chalmers. Phone: 61 8 8232 3577. Email: nina@ gldesign.com.au.

With Wine File... • • • • •

Winery records are easy to create and maintain Winery records are completely auditable Additives can be tracked to the material batch level Augments HACCP/Standard Operating Procedures Your NZ WSMP record keeping needs are met

These are just some of the reasons why Wine File is the winemakers choice for winery record keeping in Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

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November 2013 – Issue 598

Australian Wine Export Market Snapshot The Australian Wine Export Market Snapshot is prepared by Wine Australia and provides the latest key statistics on exports of Australian wine. Updated monthly, the snapshot looks at the movement in total volume and value

for the past 12 months and then drills down into more detail such as the top five destinations by value growth, movements in container type, colour, winestyle, and price point, and the top five varietal and regional label claims on bottles.

The main purpose of the report is to provide some high-level trends for the Australian wine category. For more information please visit www. wineaustralia.com/winefacts, email to info@ wineaustralia.com or ring 08 8228 2010.

Highlights â&#x20AC;&#x201C; year ended September 2013 Key statistics Total

2013

Change

Volume ML

684

-3%

Value $AM (fob)

1781

-3%

Destinations (by value growth)

$Am

Growth ($Am)

China, Pr

240

New Zealand

Hong Kong

Russia

Italy

% point change

Glass bottle

Container type (by volume)

45%

-1.0

Bulk

54%

1.0

Soft-pack

0.0

Alternative packaging1

0.0

% point change

Red

Still wine by colour (by volume)

59%

-3.3

White

41%

3.3

% point change

Red still wine

58%

-3.2

White still wine

40%

3.2

Sparkling

0.0

Fortified

0.1%

0.0

Other

0.2%

0.1

Price points (by volume)

% point change

Wine style (by volume)

$A2.49/L and under 2

58%

1.3

$A2.50/L to A$4.99/L

32%

-1.8

$A5.00/L to A$7.49/L

0.3

$A7.50/L to A$9.99/L

0.1

$A10.00/L and over

0.1

Top five varietal label claims on bottles (by volume)

Shiraz and Shiraz blends

105

37%

Chardonnay and Chardonnay blends

20%

NOTES & DEFINITIONS

Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon blends

19%

Merlot and Merlot blends

Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc blends

Top five regional label claims on bottles (by volume)

South Eastern Australia

192

71%

South Australia

12%

Prepared: October 2013, updated monthly 1 Alternative packaging includes flagon, tetra, PET and other packaging types 2 The growth in this segment is due to growth bulk shipments as more Australian wine is being packaged overseas for a combination of reasons, including economic, environmental and scale rationale together with meeting the requirements of some customers. The change in share represents percentage point change in share between the current twelve month period compared to the preceding 12 month period. Based on data compiled from the AWBC Wine Export Approval System. Average Value ($AUD) calculated on FOB value. Free on Board (FOB) value includes production and other costs up until placement on international carrier but excludes international insurance and transport costs. Data is based on wine shipped from Australia to the country of destination - in some instances, wine is then transshipped to other countries for consumption.

Barossa

2.5%

McLaren Vale

2.2%

Riverland blends

1.3%

November 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 598

Disclaimer: While Wine Australia makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and currency of information within this report, we accept no responsibility for information, which may later prove to be misrepresented or inaccurate, or reliance placed on that information by readers. Provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 apply to the contents of this publication, all other right reserved. For further copyright authorisation please see the www.wineaustralia.com website

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looking forward 2013 Australia & New Zealand

looking back

November

We step back in time to see what was happening through the pages of Grapegrower and Winemaker this month 10, 20 and 30 years ago.

15 (CD) Le Concours des Vins du Victoria. Melbourne, VIC. www.facci.com.au/leconcoursdesvins

20-23 (JD) Victorian Wines Show. Nagambie, VIC. www.victorianwinesshow.com.au

15 Variety Vintage Wine Auction Luncheon. Adelaide, SA. www.variety.org.au/sa

22-24 Margaret River Gourmet Escape. Margaret River, WA. www.margaretrivergourmetescape.com.au

15 Young Winemaker of the Year Awards 2013. Sydney, NSW. www.youngwinemaker.com.au

22 Wine Tasmania/Roberts Technical Field Day. Richmond, TAS. www.winetasmania.com.au/events

Many New Zealand grapegrowers are

16-17 Brown Brothers 27th Wine & Food Festival. Milawa, VIC. www.brownbrothers.com.au

26-27 (JD) Adelaide Hills Regional Wine Show 2013. Adelaide Hills, SA. www.adelaidehillswine.com.au

vineyards. Due to the widespread nature

16-17 Budburst - Macedon Ranges Wine and Food Festival. Macedon Ranges Wine Region, VIC. www.budburst.com

December

making the most of the replanting

3 Grape and Wine Roadshow - Adapting to Difficult Vintages - AWRI Mt Barker Workshop. Mt Barker, WA. www.awri.com.au/industry_support/ courses-seminars-workshops/events

planting material. The recently formed

16 (JD) 44th Eltham Wine Show 2013. Eltham, VIC. www.amateurwine.org.au 16 Frankland Estate Flowering of the Vine Luncheon. Frankland River, WA. www.franklandestate.com.au 16-17 La Dolce Vita. King Valley, VIC. www.winesofthekingvalley.com.au 16-17 Pizzini Wines Gnocchi Fiesta. King Valley, VIC. www.pizzini.com.au 16-17 Pyrenees Petanque Club Avoca Triples Tournament. Avoca, VIC. www.avoca.vic.au 16-22 (JD) 2013 Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania, Wrest Point Royal Hobart Wine Show. Glenorchy, TAS. www.hobartshowground.com.au 17 Langhorne Creek Vignerons' Race Day. Strathalbyn Racecourse, SA. www.langhornecreek.com 17 Malmsbury Village Wine & Food Fayre. Malmsbury, VIC. www.malmsburyvillagefayre.org.au 17 Toast Martinborough Wine, Food & Music Festival. Martinborough, NZ. www.toastmartinborough.co.nz 19-20 (JD) The Vintage Cellars 2013 Margaret River Wine Show. Margaret River, WA. www.margaretriverwine.org.au 20-21 (JD) Le Concours des Vins du Victoria. Melbourne, VIC. www.facci.com.au/leconcoursdesvins

108 Grapegrower & Winemaker

4 Grape and Wine Roadshow - Adapting to Difficult Vintages - AWRI Pemberton Workshop. Pemberton, WA. www.awri.com.au/industry_support/ courses-seminars-workshops/events 5 Grape and Wine Roadshow - Adapting to Difficult Vintages - AWRI Margaret River Workshop. Margaret River, WA. www.awri.com.au/industry_support/ courses-seminars-workshops/events

November 1983 now faced with the task of replanting as a result of phylloxera invasion of their of virus diseases in present commercial vineyards, they are concerned with opportunity and using only improved Vine Improvement Committees in each region are now seeking “improved” material, so that it may be bulked up for distribution.

November 1993 Triangle Filtration has released a new range of filters, which are derivative of the well-known ‘Filtomat’ filter range. The new filter is known as the Continuously Flushing Filter (MCF) and is designed to cope with extremely dirty and highly contaminated water systems. It has been

International

developed due to the limitations of all

November

the company said.

22-24 Drinks Industry - Russian Wine Fair. Moscow, Russia. www.wine-fest.ru

November 2003

22-25 Taipei Wine & Spirits Festival. Taipei, Taiwan. www.chanchao.com.tw

negotiations on pivotal issues relating

25-26 World Bulk Wine Exhibition. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. www.worldbulkwine.com 26-29 ETHO XPAHA 2013. Belgrade, Serbia. www.sajam.rs 26-28 SITEVI 2013. Montpellier, France. www.sitevi.com JD = judging date CD = closing date For a comprehensive list of events, visit www.winebiz.com.au/calendar www.winebiz.com.au

other types of filters in these applications,

Plant Health Australia (PHA) held to the draft cost-sharing agreement for Australia’s plant industries with key industry and Government executives, including those from the grape and wine industries at a meeting in Adelaide. PHA chairman Andrew Inglis said the outcomes of the negotiations would prove critical to ensuring a cost-sharing agreement would be endorsed by PHA members in December 2003. “The current funding arrangements for managing plant pest and disease incursions are outdated and inadequate,” he said. November 2013 – Issue 598

FIND YOUR SUPPLIER QUICKLY WITH OUR November 2013 Advertiser List Supplier

Page

Supplier

Page

3M Purification

JMA Engineering

A.P. John

Judy's Kites

AGL Energy - Singleton

105

Kauri Australia

Agnova

9,17

Laffort Australia

57,59,62,63,66,68, 69,73,74,75,76,85 67,69

All Machinery

Ledgard Pruning Systems

Aust & International Agri Exchange

110

Measurement Engineering Australia (MEA)

Australian Perlite Australian Wine Research Institute

60 81-84

MEP Instruments

Mildura Vine Nursery

111

BAM Wine Logistics

104

Moog Systems Australia

58,88

Bayer Cropscience

Oblomov Trading Co

111

Bibber International

110

O-I Australia

101

Bio Central Laboratories

Organic Crop Protectants

Bonacci Group

Pellenc Australia

Braud Australia

Pierro Wines

111

Bruce Gilbert Vine Grafting

110

Plastic Precise Parts

Cambridge & Co

Portavin Melbourne

100

Colliers

111

R.D. Tallarida Engineering

CRT Rural

36,37

Rapidfil

Curtis Barrier

Roxset

Define Wine Marketing & Communications

104

Ryset (Aust)

Della Toffola Pacific

Simon Greenleaf - Sparkling Winemaking

110

Delta Water

Spagnolo Engineering

103

Destiny Wines

96,110 64 43,46

Spray Nozzle Engineering

44,45,47

Spraying Systems

Dupont

Streamline Cartons

110

Farmoz

22-27

Sumitomo

Dow

Fineweld Stainless Steel

Syngenta Australia

Fischer Australis

Tanglewood Estate - Wine Fermenters

110

FMR Group

Taylors Engineering (Blenheim)

Galli Estate

110

Tonnellerie Cadus

GEA Westfalia

Vinewright

110

Groguard Australia

Viniquip

Hewy's Filtration Services

Vinline Mobile Bottling

Horsehead Tech

106

Vintessential Laboratories

Jaegar Australia

Whitlands Engineering

Jamieson Valley Estate - Baby doll sheep

111

Winefile

106

Jamieson Valley Estate - Wine distribution

111

Winequip

112

AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND GRAPEGROWER & WINEMAKER *Australia's largest circulation wine industry trade magazine celebrating 50 years of publication. *Now available online to all subscribers. *All Marketplace adverts also appear on Winebiz Classifieds * For advertising enquiries please call Chas Barter on 08 8369 9513, c.barter@winetitles.com.au

November 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Issue 598

www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

109

Marketplace FOR SALE

Three open top stainless wine fermenters 2000 to 2500 Litres, excellent condition. Contact Ken on 0417 160 890 or 03 59743325

WINE PRESS SERVICING • Preventative maintenance & breakdown repairs for all makes and models. • 24/7 coverage during vintage • Large inventory of spare parts. • Membrane replacement. • PLC upgrades and design improvements. Electrical & mechanical expertise.

03 9455 3339 • www.rapidfil.com.au

VINE GRAFTING Bruce Gilbert 0428 233 544 Brian Phillips 0417 131 764 fax 03 5025 2321

brucethegrafter@gmail.com www.brucethegrafter.com

ARE YOU STILL REQUIRING CELLAR HANDS for the 2014 VINTAGE? The popular WINE EXPERIENCE INTERNATIONAL Program enables young people, from many countries, who are wishing to gain an opportunity to acquire additional practical experience towards their Career objectives.

Quality Grapevines Paul Wright PO Box 180 Mt Pleasant South Australia 5235 Ph 08 8568 2385 www.vinewright.com.au f taf es g ta Vin

These qualified young people are seeking a period of about three months work and are available for the 2014 Vintage. For further information contact:PO Box 3093 KEW, Victoria 3101 Ph (03) 9818 2395 – FAX (03) 9818 7255 Email: auintagx@bigpond.com Web: www.agriculturalexchange.com

GALLI ESTATE WINERY

Wine Grapes For Sale – Harvest 2014 Port Phillip (Sunbury) & Central Victoria (Heathcote) Regions. Low Yielding Vineyards Varietals: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Viognier, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Grenache. Details upon request Contact Office: 03 9747 1444 e: vineyard@galliestate.com.au

www.galliestate.com.au

Vine / Tree Guards Cane Support Tabs

Need qualified vintage staff?

65 x 65 x 480 Most popular vine size

95 x 95 x 300 2 Lt Milk carton size

75 x 75 x 400

Staple around for bushier trees 75 diameter x 420

Marketplace

• Low cost protection against spray, rabbits, wind etc. • Long field life of18 months plus • Available in white poly coated cartonboard • Suit vines, trees, olives, citrus etc • Supplied flat in boxes • Just square up and ready to go • Comes with indent cane holder

Streamline Cartons Talk to us!

info@bibber.com.au +61 8 8374 0077

www.bibber.com.au 110 Grapegrower & Winemaker

www.winebiz.com.au

Ph 1800-227866 Fax (08) 8260 2387

www.streamlinecartons.com.au sales@streamlinecartons.com.au Supplying vine growers for the past 8 years

November 2013 – Issue 598

Marketplace Organic lawnmowers for sale (Babydoll Sheep) We breed babydolls for vineyard use - they are reared amongst our vines! No need for trimming lower green – and reduced herbicides – plus natural nitrogen fertiliser! Call Anna on 0402 210 254

Independent distribution of Boutique Wines

Tired of flagging sales and being one-of-many with your distributor? We are a single-product vineyard with a full-time travelling salesman in Victoria. Let’s discuss a marketing / distribution channel that costs you nothing until we sell your wine! No pinot noir – that’s what we make – preferably interstate producers

Call Chris on 0417 888 930.

WANTED

BIRD NETTING • Permanent canopy or throw over net • Fully UV stabilised • Cable, wire and all canopy supplies in stock

BRYCE BUCKETS TO PURCHASE IN ANY QUANTITY EMAIL info@pierro.com.au or phone Mike on 08 97556220.

OBLOMOV TRADING CO. PO Box 207, Rozelle, NSW 2039 Phone (02) 9660 6845 Fax (02) 9518 8372 e-mail: sales@otcobirdnet.com.au

NEED VINES OR

Visit our website at: www.otcobirdnet.com.au

GRAFTING?

Grafted vines, vinifera and rootstock now available.

We also do contract Field Grafting and changing varieties

Ph 0408 140 729

To advertise, contact Chas Barter on (08) 8369 9513 or email c.barter@winetitles.com.au

Accelerating success. “Scotchmans Hill” EOI

Bellarine Peninsula– Geelong Wine Region, Victoria An established, award winning wine business 160,000 cases • Winery and cellar door, overlooking Port Phillip Bay; views to Melbourne • Total land area of approximately 129.5 hectares (320 acres) • Renowned brands and valuable stock • Vineyards planted predominantly to Pinot Noir with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling • 4 titles, 3 residences, water entitlements, other improvements •

For Sale by Expressions of Interest closing Thursday 14 November www.colliers.com.au/500916183 Tim Altschwager 0408 814 699 08 8305 8844 Nick Dean 0411 267 136 08 8305 8860

www.colliers.com.au

Under instructions from Kate Warwick, Receiver

RLA204

Looking for more detail and application information Visit www.winebiz.com.au/widonline/courses to view

November 2013 – Issue 598

www.winebiz.com.au

Grapegrower & Winemaker

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Marketplace

University, TAFE and other courses

Equipment

FROM GRAPE TO THE BOTTLE

REFRIGERATION MONOBLOCS Europe’s leading refrigeration supplier now in Australia Kreyer are specialists in manufacture of products for temperature controlled processing of grape juice, fruit juice and wine. All products are made in Germany and carry a 2 year warranty and a 24 hour customer support service. Kreyer’s range includes ‘MCK” and ‘Chilly Max’ monobloc chillers and heaters for all sized wineries as well as the unique ‘Kreyopack’ range with built in tube n tube for fast and efficient temperature control. Also available are individual and multi tank temperature control systems. KREYOPACK 9-100KW Cooling Capacity

MCK 18-85KW Cooling Capacity

Tank Control Systems with Digital Thermometer

CHILLY MAX 6 – 11KW Cooling Capacity

For further details, contact us on: Melbourne 59 Banbury Rd, Reservoir Ph. 1300 882 850 Adelaide 12 Hamilton Tce, Newton Ph. 08 8365 0044 New Zealand 4c Titoki Place, Albany, Auckland Ph. 0800 699 599 E. sales@winequip.com.au www.winequip.com.au www.winequip.co.nz

Solenoid Valves and simple control boxes with BUS interface